Translation guide
The act of treating a person as an object, often in a sexual or dehumanizing way. In Japanese, this concept is typically expressed through verbs and nouns related to viewing someone as a thing, a tool, or a sexual object.
To express the idea of treating someone as a mere object, without regard for their feelings or humanity.
Literally 'to treat as a thing'. This is a common and direct way to express objectification in a general sense.
彼はいつも私を物扱いする。
He always treats me like an object.
A more explicit phrase meaning 'to treat a person like a thing'. It emphasizes the dehumanizing aspect.
そんな風に人を物のように扱うのは間違っている。
It's wrong to treat people like objects in that way.
A formal, academic term for objectification, often used in sociology or philosophy. Not common in everyday speech.
メディアにおける女性の客体化が問題視されている。
The objectification of women in the media is seen as a problem.
To refer specifically to treating someone as a sexual object, focusing on their body rather than their personhood.
Literally 'to see as a sexual object'. This is a clear and natural way to express sexual objectification.
彼は女性を性的対象としてしか見ていない。
He only sees women as sexual objects.
Combines 'sexual' with 'treat as a thing'. Stronger and more direct, often used in feminist contexts.
広告が女性を性的に物扱いしていると批判された。
The advertisement was criticized for sexually objectifying women.
The formal term for sexual objectification, used in academic or critical discourse.
性的客体化は女性の自己イメージに悪影響を与える。
Sexual objectification negatively impacts women's self-image.
To describe the portrayal of people as objects in media, art, or literature.
Literally 'to depict as a thing'. Used when talking about representation in art or media.
その映画は女性をただのモノとして描いている。
That movie portrays women as mere objects.
A Marxist term meaning 'reification' or 'objectification', often used in critical theory. Not common in daily conversation.
資本主義社会では人間関係が物象化される。
In capitalist society, human relationships become objectified.
The English word 'objectification' does not have a single, commonly used equivalent in everyday Japanese. Using the academic term 客体化 in casual conversation may sound unnatural or overly technical. Instead, use phrases like 物扱いする or 性的対象として見る depending on the context.
Both モノ (katakana) and 物 (kanji) mean 'thing'. モノ can sometimes emphasize the abstract concept of 'object' in contrast to 'person', while 物 is more concrete. In phrases like 物扱い, the kanji is standard.