泥棒 (どろぼう, dorobou) Japanese meaning: thief | Kotomora

泥どろ棒ぼう

also: どろぼー

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Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

泥棒する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

Refers to a person who steals, including a thief in general, a burglar who breaks into a place, or a robber in context.

窃せっ盗とう sense 2
窃盗 is the formal, legal term for theft, while 泥棒 is the everyday word for the same act or for a thief.
強ごう盗とうN3sense 1
強盗 specifically means robbery involving force or threats, whereas 泥棒 covers stealing in general, including quiet burglary.
空あき巣す sense 1
空き巣 is a burglar (or burglary) who targets an empty house specifically, while 泥棒 is the general word for a thief.
盗ぬすむN4
盗む is the standard verb for 'to steal,' while 泥棒する is a more casual, colloquial way to say the same thing.

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すりN4
泥棒 is the general word for a thief or burglar, while すり specifically means a pickpocket who steals from a person's clothing or bag in public.
泥どろN3
泥棒 is the standard, complete word for 'thief'; 泥 is its casual, spoken-language abbreviation used in the same sense.
盗とう賊ぞく
泥棒 is the everyday word for a thief or burglar, while 盗賊 sounds dramatic or literary and often implies a gang or historical/fantasy setting.
怪かい盗とう
泥棒 is an ordinary, everyday thief or burglar, while 怪盗 is a stylish, elusive fictional thief with a code of honor.

泥どろ棒ぼうUsage86%
Standard and common kanji spelling.
どろぼうUsage8%
ドロボーUsage4%
search-only kana form
Search-only katakana spelling with a prolonged vowel; may appear in casual or emphatic writing, but 泥棒 is standard.
ドロボウUsage2%
泥どろ

The historical derivation of どろぼう is uncertain. 泥棒 is the conventional modern spelling; the rare variant 泥坊 is also attested but not normally used.