Kaizoku is the Japanese word for ‘pirate’, explained

What does “kaizoku” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “kaizoku” to mean ‘pirate’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “kaizoku” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “kaizoku”
• What does “kaizoku” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “pirates” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “kaizoku”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “kaizoku”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kaizoku”.

• kaizoku – 海賊 (かいぞく) : a noun meaning ‘pirate’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “kaizoku” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “kaizoku” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 海 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘sea’ in Japanese.
• 賊 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘bandit’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kaizoku” literally means ‘sea bandits’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still very close, I think.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “kaizoku” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kaizoku” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “pirates” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “kaizoku” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “kaizoku”. In this example, it works as the complement in the sentence.

Example #2: another usage of “kaizoku”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’, ‘also’, or ‘as well’. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘too’.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say what someone or something becomes after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “kaizoku” to say what the speaker wants to be.
• nari – なり : one conjugation of the verb, “naru”, which means ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, or just ‘to be’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• tai – たい : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its desire form. In the example, this is used after “nari” to make its desire form, “nari tai”, which means ‘to want to be’ in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “kaizoku”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “ni”, to become the object in the sentence. When we want to mean a ‘pirate’ or ‘pirates’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kaizoku” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• kaizoku – 海賊 (かいぞく) : a noun meaning ‘pirate’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘sea bandits’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still very close, I think.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.