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不法 (ふほう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Meanings 1
na-adjective, noun
illegal ; unlawful
The main modern use: contrary to law or legal rules. Often appears before nouns as 不法な or in compounds such as 不法投棄, 不法侵入, and 不法入国.
へ
の
不ふ
法ほう
投とう
棄き
が
問もん
題だい
に
なっ
て
いる
。
Illegal dumping in the mountains has become a problem.
2
na-adjective, noun
unjust ; outrageous ; unwarranted
Less common than the legal sense. Used for conduct or treatment that is wrong, unreasonable, or contrary to justice; in everyday modern Japanese, 不当 or 理不尽 is often more natural for this idea.
Similar words 違い 法ほう Also means illegal; 違法 more directly emphasizes violation of a specific law, while 不法 often appears in set compounds and can also have a broader 'unjust' nuance.
不ふ 当とう Means unfair, improper, or unjust, and is often the more natural choice when something is unreasonable but not necessarily illegal.
無む 法ほう Means lawless or outrageous; it often describes disorderly behavior or a lack of restraint, rather than simply legal illegality.
Etymology Sino-Japanese compound of 不, 'not; un-', and 法, 'law; rule; principle'. The spelling transparently matches the meanings 'not lawful' and, more broadly, 'against what is right or proper'.
