罪 appears in words about wrongdoing and the feeling that can follow it. Learn each reading with a whole word.
The idea
罪 has 13 strokes. Its on-reading is ざい, as in 犯罪 and 罪悪感; its kun-reading is つみ, as in 罪. Follow the linked stroke diagram.
| Word | Reading | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| 罪 | つみ | He admitted his guilt. |
| 犯罪 | はんざい | Crime has decreased in this town. |
| 無罪 | むざい | She is innocent. |
| 罪悪感 | ざいあくかん | She felt guilty. |
Examples
- 彼は罪を認めました。He admitted his guilt.
- 彼女は罪悪感を感じました。She felt guilty.
- この町では犯罪が減りました。Crime has decreased in this town.
- 彼は罪を犯しました。He committed a crime.
- 彼女は無罪です。She is innocent.
- 私は罪悪感を感じずに謝りました。I apologised without feeling guilty.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
罪 can mean a crime or a moral wrongdoing; 罪悪感 is the feeling of guilt, not the crime itself. Context determines the sense.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 罪 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
つみ
罪 is つみ: 罪を認める means to admit a wrongdoing.
Write the reading of 犯罪 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
はんざい
犯罪 is はんざい: it refers to crime. Learn both characters as a word.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿悪感（ざいあくかん）［罪／非］.
Show answer or example answer
罪
罪 completes 罪悪感（ざいあくかん）, the feeling of guilt.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 罪 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 犯罪 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿悪感（ざいあくかん）［罪／非］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write 罪 using the diagram, then cover the readings and say 罪 and 犯罪 aloud. Make a sentence with 罪悪感.