刑事（けいじ、keiji）
- detective (police)

The Japanese word 刑事, pronounced けいじ (keiji), primarily refers to a "detective" or "criminal investigator" in law enforcement. It can also broadly refer to a "police officer" involved in criminal investigations. 刑事 are responsible for investigating crimes, gathering evidence, interviewing suspects and witnesses, and making arrests. The term implies a focus on crime-solving and upholding the law. They work within the structure of the police force and the justice system. The meaning focuses on the professional role and their tasks related to solving a crime.

⚫︎刑事は事件の現場に向かった。 Translation: The detective went to the crime scene. ⚫︎あの刑事は優秀な捜査官として知られている。 Translation: That detective is known as an excellent investigator. ⚫︎彼は将来、刑事になりたいと思っている。 Translation: He wants to become a detective in the future.

You use 刑事 when referring to a detective or a police investigator. It's suitable in formal and informal contexts. When speaking about specific investigations or the actions of detectives, 刑事 is a precise and common word choice. You can use this word when talking about crime, investigations, or the police.

The word 刑事 is typically written with the kanji 刑事. The reading is けいじ in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word, and there are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 捜査官 (sōsa-kan) - Investigator (more general term) ⚫︎ デカ (deka) - Slang for detective (often used informally) ⚫︎ 刑事さん (keiji-san) - Detective (polite form using the honorific "san")

There isn't a direct antonym for 刑事 because it describes a role. However, words relating to criminals or those who commit crimes would be opposite. ⚫︎ 犯人 (hannin) - Criminal, offender ⚫︎ 容疑者 (yōgisha) - Suspect

彼はベテランの刑事として、数々の難事件を解決してきた。 ・Translation: As a veteran detective, he has solved numerous difficult cases. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a detective (刑事) and highlights their experience in solving challenging cases.

刑事は証拠を収集し、犯人逮捕に尽力した。 ・Translation: The detective collected evidence and worked hard to arrest the criminal. ・Explanation: This sentence focuses on the actions of a detective (刑事) to gather evidence and arrest a criminal.

The word 刑事 is a compound word. It combines: ⚫︎ 刑 (kei) - which refers to "punishment," "penalty," or "criminal case." ⚫︎ 事 (ji) - which means "matter," "affair," or "event." ⚫︎Therefore,刑事(keiji) can be broadly understood as someone involved in matters related to criminal punishment or dealing with criminal affairs.