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人さらい (hitosarai) Japanese meaning: kidnapping | Kotomora

人ひとさらい

ひ

と

さ

ら

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

kidnapping; abduction

Refers to the act of taking a person away illegally, often by force.

その地ち域いきでは人ひとさらい事じ件けんが増ふえている。

Kidnapping cases are increasing in that area.

2

kidnapper; abductor

Refers to the person who commits the kidnapping.

人ひとさらいは身代金みのしろきんを要よう求きゅうした。
The kidnapper demanded a ransom.

Kanji

人person
攫abduct

Related words

誘ゆう拐かい
誘拐 is a more formal and common term for kidnapping, often used in legal contexts. 人さらい is slightly more colloquial and can carry a nuance of snatching or abducting a person, sometimes with a historical or dramatic feel.

Written forms

人ひとさらいUsage67%
Commonly written with さらい in kana; the kanji 攫 is less frequent.
人ひと攫さらいUsage33%
Kanji spelling using 攫, which is less common but still encountered.

Etymology

Compound of 人 (ひと, 'person') and 攫い (さらい, the continuative form of 攫う 'to carry off, to snatch'). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word has been used since at least the Edo period.