裏金
Meanings
bribe; payoff
Refers to money given illicitly to influence someone, especially in political or business contexts. Often used in scandals.
It was revealed that the politician had received a bribe.
secret fund; slush fund; money for bribery
Money kept hidden from official accounts, often used for illicit purposes such as bribery or off-the-books payments. Common in political and corporate scandals.
The company used a slush fund for illegal political donations.
The slush fund operation came to light through a whistleblower.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉を裏金として渡すto hand over money as a bribe/payoff
The contractor handed over cash as a bribe to the person in charge.
- 裏金を作るto create a slush fund
The company manipulated its books to create a slush fund.
- 裏金が発覚するfor a slush fund/bribe to come to light
The politician's slush fund came to light, causing a huge uproar.
- 裏金を受け取るto accept a bribe
He is suspected of having accepted bribes from a contractor.