Translation guide
A bullet that misses its intended target and hits something else, often causing accidental injury or damage. In Japanese, this is typically expressed with specific compound nouns or descriptive phrases.
To refer to a bullet that has gone astray and hit an unintended target.
The most common and direct term for a stray bullet. Used in news reports and everyday conversation.
I was injured by a stray bullet.
A passerby was killed by a stray bullet in the incident.
A less common synonym for stray bullet, literally 'straying bullet'. More often used in written or formal contexts.
Damage from stray bullets was reported.
Literally 'lost bullet', a more literary or poetic term for a stray bullet. Rarely used in modern news.
Stray bullets were flying around on the battlefield.
To describe a person who gets caught up in a conflict or situation not originally aimed at them, like a 'stray bullet' in a metaphorical sense.
An idiomatic phrase meaning to suffer from the indirect effects of something, like being hit by a stray bullet. Commonly used in casual and formal settings.
I got scolded as a result of my boss's mistake (like a stray bullet).
He got hurt as a result of getting caught up in the fight.
Literally 'to be hit by a stray bullet', used metaphorically to mean becoming an unintended victim of a situation. Less common than the idiomatic phrases above.
流れ弾 is the literal term for a stray bullet, while とばっちり is a figurative expression for suffering unintended consequences. Use 流れ弾 when talking about actual gunfire, and とばっちり or 巻き添え for metaphorical situations.
The window was shattered by a stray bullet.
He was demoted as a result of political infighting (like a stray bullet).
Means to get involved in something and suffer harm, like collateral damage. Slightly more vivid than とばっちり.
He was arrested as collateral damage in someone else's crime.
I got fired as a result of the company's restructuring (like a stray bullet).