Translation guide
The English word 'whore' is a vulgar, offensive term for a prostitute or a sexually promiscuous person. This guide covers how to express these concepts in Japanese, from direct equivalents to euphemisms and slang, with strong emphasis on register and offensiveness.
A person who engages in sexual activity for money.
She works as a whore. · He hired a whore.
Formal, clinical term for a female prostitute. Used in legal or news contexts. Not common in everyday speech.
売春婦の逮捕が報じられた。
The arrest of a prostitute was reported.
Literary or historical term for a prostitute, often with a nuance of a courtesan or high-class prostitute. Not used in modern casual speech.
彼女は娼婦のような格好をしていた。
She was dressed like a prostitute.
Euphemistic term for a woman working in the sex industry (風俗). Commonly used in everyday conversation when referring to sex workers without strong vulgarity.
彼は風俗嬢と付き合っている。
He is dating a sex worker.
Post-WWII slang for street prostitutes who served foreign soldiers. Now historical and rarely used, but may appear in period pieces.
パンパンは戦後の混乱期に現れた。
Panpan appeared during the post-war chaos.
A derogatory term for a person, usually a woman, who has many sexual partners.
She's such a whore. · Don't call her a whore.
Extremely vulgar slang for a sexually promiscuous woman. Equivalent to 'slut' or 'whore'. Highly offensive; use only in very informal, rough contexts.
This word is deeply misogynistic and should be avoided in polite company.
あの女、ヤリマンだってよ。
I heard that woman is a slut.
Loanword from English 'bitch', but used in Japanese to mean 'slut' or 'whore'. Common in casual, vulgar speech. Slightly less harsh than ヤリマン but still offensive.
Literally 'player' or 'playboy/playgirl'. Can refer to someone who sleeps around, but not as vulgar as ヤリマン. Can be used for both genders, though often male.
Literally 'light-bottomed'; a somewhat old-fashioned term for a promiscuous woman. Less vulgar than ヤリマン but still derogatory.
To work as a prostitute or to sell one's body for sex.
She whores on the street. · He whores himself out for money.
Formal verb meaning 'to prostitute oneself'. Used in legal or descriptive contexts.
彼女は生活のために売春している。
She prostitutes herself to make a living.
Euphemistic phrase meaning 'to sell one's body'. Common in everyday speech when referring to prostitution.
彼女は金のために体を売った。
She sold her body for money.
Slang for 'sugar dating', where a young woman dates older men for money or gifts, often implying sex. Not exactly 'whoring' but related.
彼女はパパ活で稼いでいる。
She earns money through sugar dating.
To compromise one's principles for money or advantage, similar to 'sell out'.
He whores his talent for corporate gigs. · She whores herself out to the media.
Literally 'to sell one's soul'. Used figuratively for selling out or prostituting one's values.
彼は金のために魂を売った。
He sold his soul for money.
Literally 'to sell oneself'. Can be used figuratively for compromising one's integrity, though it often implies literal prostitution.
彼は名声のために身を売った。
He sold himself for fame.
The English word 'whore' is highly offensive and vulgar. Direct Japanese equivalents carry similar or even stronger taboo. Use with extreme caution, if at all. In most contexts, euphemisms or indirect expressions are preferred.
English 'whore' can mean either a professional prostitute or a promiscuous person. Japanese distinguishes these more clearly. For a prostitute, terms like 売春婦 (clinical) or 風俗嬢 (euphemistic) are used. For a promiscuous person, slang like ヤリマン (vulgar) or 遊び人 (milder) applies. Context is crucial.
彼女は風俗で働いている。
She works in the sex industry.
あの女は遊び人だ。
That woman is a player.
Most Japanese terms for 'whore' are female-specific. Male equivalents exist but are less common. The word 男娼 (だんしょう) means male prostitute, but is rarely used. Slang for promiscuous men includes ヤリチン (very vulgar).
彼女を売春婦呼ばわりするな！
Don't call her a whore!
Using 売春婦呼ばわり (calling someone a prostitute) is a strong rebuke.
彼は注目を集めるために手段を選ばない。
He's a whore for attention.
Figurative; literally 'He doesn't choose his means to get attention.' No direct 'whore' equivalent.
She is said to be a slut.
彼は遊び人だから気をつけて。
He's a player, so be careful.
尻軽女だと陰口を叩かれた。
She was badmouthed as a loose woman.