Translation guide
A person suffering from leprosy. In Japanese, the term is primarily medical or historical, with sensitivity around older stigmatizing words.
Referring to someone who has Hansen's disease in a clinical or respectful context.
The modern, neutral term for a person with Hansen's disease (leprosy). Preferred in medical and official contexts.
彼はハンセン病患者の治療に専念している。
He is dedicated to treating leprosy patients.
Referring to a leper in historical or literary contexts, often with awareness of past discrimination.
An older, now largely obsolete term for a leper. Found in historical texts; considered discriminatory today.
Avoid in modern speech; it is stigmatizing.
Describing someone shunned or treated as an outcast, like a leper in a metaphorical sense.
A simile meaning 'treated like a leper'. Uses the older term 癩病者, but acceptable in figurative use.
Even figuratively, some may find the comparison insensitive.
彼はスキャンダルの後、まるで癩病者のように扱われた。
After the scandal, he was treated like a leper.
Words like 癩者 (らいしゃ) and らい人 (らいにん) are now considered discriminatory. Use ハンセン病患者 in medical or respectful contexts.
ハンセン病患者に対する差別は許されない。
Discrimination against leprosy patients is unacceptable.
For the literal disease, stick to ハンセン病患者. For metaphorical outcast, phrases like のけ者 or 村八分 are safer and more natural than direct translations of 'leper'.
彼は職場でのけ者にされている。
He's treated like a leper at work.
Literally 'leprosy patient'. Still used but can carry historical stigma; ハンセン病患者 is preferred.
らい病患者への偏見は根深い。
Prejudice against leprosy patients is deep-rooted.
その物語には癩者が登場する。
A leper appears in that story.
Another older term, literally 'leprosy person'. Rare and outdated.
Not used in contemporary language; may be offensive.
中世ではらい人は隔離された。
In the Middle Ages, lepers were isolated.
Traditional term for ostracism from a village community; can convey being treated as an outcast, similar to 'leper' figuratively.
彼は地域社会から村八分にされた。
He was ostracized by the local community.
Means 'outcast' or 'someone left out'. A common, less specific way to express social exclusion.
彼はグループでのけ者にされている。
He's being treated like an outcast in the group.