Translation guide
A person suffering from leprosy. In Japanese, the term is primarily medical or historical, with sensitivity around older stigmatizing words.
He is dedicated to treating leprosy patients.
Literally 'leprosy patient'. Still used but can carry historical stigma; ハンセン病患者 is preferred.
Prejudice against leprosy patients is deep-rooted.
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.
A leper appears in that story.
Another older term, literally 'leprosy person'. Rare and outdated.
Not used in contemporary language; may be offensive.
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.
After the scandal, he was treated like a leper.
Traditional term for ostracism from a village community; can convey being treated as an outcast, similar to 'leper' figuratively.
Means 'outcast' or 'someone left out'. A common, less specific way to express social exclusion.
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.
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'.
He's treated like a leper at work.
In the Middle Ages, lepers were isolated.
He was ostracized by the local community.
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.