犯人（はんにん、hanniん）
- criminal

The Japanese word 犯人, pronounced はんにん (hannin), translates to "criminal," "offender," "culprit," or "perpetrator" in English. It refers to the person who committed a crime or wrongdoing. It is a general term and doesn't specify the type of crime. It’s important to note that 犯人 is often used in the context of criminal investigations or news reports.

⚫︎警察は犯人を逮捕した。 Translation: The police arrested the criminal. ⚫︎犯人はまだ見つかっていない。 Translation: The culprit hasn't been found yet. ⚫︎あの事件の犯人は誰ですか？ Translation: Who is the perpetrator of that incident?

⚫︎犯人 is primarily used in formal or semi-formal contexts, such as news reports, police investigations, or legal proceedings. ⚫︎ It is generally not used in casual conversations or when discussing minor infractions. ⚫︎ You would typically use 犯人 when referring to someone who has committed a crime, not just made a mistake.

⚫︎ The word is written with the kanji 犯 (han, meaning "crime," "offense") and 人 (nin, meaning "person"). ⚫︎ The reading is はんにん (hannin) in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in okurigana. ⚫︎ The term is almost always written with kanji in formal writing, but it is acceptable to use hiragana for stylistic reasons in certain cases, particularly when it comes to emphasizing the word or indicating its function in a sentence.

⚫︎ 罪人 (tsumibito) - "criminal," "convict" (can be used in a broader sense). ⚫︎ 容疑者 (yougisha) - "suspect." This word emphasizes the suspicion, rather than proven guilt. ⚫︎ 犯行者 (hankousha) - "offender" (emphasizes the act of committing a crime). ⚫︎ 悪人 (akunin) - "villain," "wicked person" (implies a general moral failing).

⚫︎ 被害者 (higaisha) - "victim." ⚫︎ 無実の人 (mujin no hito) - "innocent person." ⚫︎ 証人 (shou nin) - "witness."

銀行強盗の犯人は、まだ逃走中です。 ・Translation: The perpetrator of the bank robbery is still at large. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 犯人 to describe the person who committed the bank robbery and highlights that the person is still not caught.

警察は、事件の犯人を特定するために、証拠を集めている。 ・Translation: The police are gathering evidence to identify the criminal of the case. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 犯人 in the context of a police investigation, emphasizing the identification process.

The kanji 犯 combines the meaning of "crime" with the kanji 人 for "person," and the word naturally evolved to signify the "person who committed a crime." The combination of these two kanji clearly illustrates the meaning of the word.