LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N4Lesson notes · Oct 11, 2026

Accident in Japanese: 事故じこ (じこ), 交通事故こうつうじこ, and what to say when something goes wrong

Accident in Japanese is 事故じこ (jiko), a real incident such as a crash, and the "by accident" meaning ("I did it by mistake") uses different words like うっかり and 間違まちがえて.

English uses one word, "accident," for a car crash and for spilling your coffee. Japanese usually does not. 事故じこ is for events that cause damage, injury, or disruption, and it is not normally the translation of a careless slip. This article covers both sides, the verbs 遭あう and 起おこす, and the announcement you will hear on a delayed train.

The basics

What does 事故じこ mean?

事故じこ (jiko) means an accident or incident in which something went wrong and caused damage, injury, or trouble. You use it for traffic accidents and workplace accidents often reported in the news. Friends sometimes use it jokingly for a small disaster, but as a translation of "I made a slip," it is the wrong word.

事故じこがありました。 — There was an accident. (polite, neutral report) あそこで事故じこがあったらしい。 — Apparently there was an accident over there. (casual, passing on what you heard)

How do you say traffic accident?

交通事故こうつうじこ (koutsuu jiko) is the standard word for a traffic accident. 交通こうつう means traffic or transport. It is the word on signs and in news reports for crashes involving cars, bikes, or pedestrians.

この道みちは交通事故こうつうじこが多おおいです。 — There are many traffic accidents on this road. (polite, general statement) 帰かえりに事故現場じこげんばを見みました。 — I saw an accident scene on my way home. (polite, you only witnessed it)

When the context is clearly the road, people often drop 交通こうつう: 「さっき事故じこってた」 or 「前まえの方ほうで事故じこがあったみたい」.

What is the difference between 事故じこに遭あう and 事故じこを起おこす?

事故じこに遭あう (jiko ni au) means you encountered an accident and were caught up in it, and 事故じこを起おこす (jiko o okosu) means you caused one. The verb changes along with the particle: 遭あう focuses on meeting something unwelcome, and 起おこす focuses on making something happen.

昨日きのう、事故じこに遭あいました。 — I was in an accident yesterday. (polite, you were involved) 運転中うんてんちゅうに事故じこを起おこしました。 — I caused an accident while driving. (polite, you made it happen)

Who was actually at fault is not decided by these phrases. It depends on what happened, and a driver who was hit might still say 事故じこに遭あった. Someone who only watched says 事故じこを見みた (or 目撃もくげきした), not 事故じこに遭あった. The same に pattern appears with other bad luck, like 災難さいなんに遭あう (to experience misfortune).

遭あう sounds the same as 会あう (to meet a person), but it is used for unwelcome things such as accidents or trouble.

What should you say if someone is hurt?

Ask 大丈夫だいじょうぶですか (daijoubu desu ka) first, and then ask about injuries with 怪我けが (kega). 怪我けがをする is "to get hurt."

大丈夫だいじょうぶですか。 — Are you okay? (polite, the first thing to say) 怪我けがはありませんか。 — Are you hurt? (polite, more specific) 同僚どうりょうが怪我けがをしました。 — My coworker got hurt. (polite, reporting it to someone else)

For shouting for assistance, see help in Japanese: 助たすけて vs 手伝てつだって. For describing where it hurts, see pain in Japanese: 痛いたい.

How do you report an accident or call for help?

In Japan the police are 110 and fire and ambulance are 119; the 119 operator asks 「火事かじですか、救急きゅうきゅうですか」 (fire or ambulance?) first. You answer 救急きゅうきゅうです, then follow the operator's questions. In a traffic accident, the police should be told whether or not anyone is hurt (Aichi Prefectural Police guidance). Call 119 as well if someone is injured. For the vocabulary afterwards, see police in Japanese and hospital in Japanese.

火事かじですか、救急きゅうきゅうですか。 — Fire or ambulance? (what the 119 operator says first) 救急きゅうきゅうです。交通事故こうつうじこです。 — Ambulance. It's a traffic accident. (polite, your first answer) 場所ばしょは〇〇駅えきの南口みなみぐちです。けが人ひとが二人ふたりいます。 — The accident is at the south exit of 〇〇 Station. Two people are injured. (polite, a specific landmark helps; fill in the real station)

救急車きゅうきゅうしゃ (kyuukyuusha) means ambulance. You do not need a fixed script. Give a landmark or address, and answer the questions you are asked (Gifu City guidance on calling 119).

Beyond the basics

What does 人身事故じんしんじこ mean on a train?

人身事故じんしんじこ (jinshin jiko) is an accident in which a person is injured or killed, and it is the phrase behind many train delay announcements. 人身じんしん means "a person's body." The phrase says that a person was hurt, not what happened or why. It is better not to guess about the details.

人身事故じんしんじこのため、運転うんてんを見合みあわせております。 — Due to an accident involving a person, service is suspended. (very polite, station announcement) 人身事故じんしんじこで電車でんしゃが止とまってる。 — The train has stopped because of an accident involving a person. (casual, a commuter explaining to a friend)

運転うんてんを見合みあわせる (unten o miawaseru) means to temporarily suspend or hold off running services. In road-traffic contexts, 人身事故じんしんじこ contrasts with 物損事故ぶっそんじこ (busson jiko), an accident with only property damage. For the wider vocabulary, see train in Japanese. If you are late because of one, you can write 人身事故じんしんじこで電車でんしゃが止とまっていて、遅おくれそうです。申し訳もうしわけありません。 In casual talk, people often shorten it to 人身じんしん.

What is 事故じこる?

事故じこる (jikoru) is a casual verb that means to crash or to have an accident. It is made by adding る to 事故じこ, like many slang verbs. Use it in casual conversation or writing, but avoid it in formal reports.

バイクで事故じこった。 — I crashed on my motorbike. (casual, spoken) 前まえの車くるまが事故じこってる。 — The car ahead has crashed. (casual, describing what you see)

With police or an insurance agent, say what actually happened in plain words: 事故じこに遭あいました, 事故じこを起おこしました, or a specific fact like 追突ついとつされました.

What words do you need after a car accident?

追突ついとつ (tsuitotsu) is a rear-end collision, もらい事故じこ (moraijiko) is an accident you were drawn into, and 当あて逃にげ (atenige) is leaving the scene after an accident that only damaged property. These come up when you are actually the driver.

後うしろの車くるまに追突ついとつされました。 — I was rear-ended by the car behind me. (polite, passive: it was done to you) 今回こんかいはもらい事故じこで、相手あいての車くるまが突っ込つっこんできました。 — This one wasn't my fault; the other car ran into me. (polite, the speaker's account of what happened) 駐車場ちゅうしゃじょうで当あて逃にげされた。 — Someone hit my car in the parking lot and drove off. (casual, passive)

The passive (追突ついとつされた, 当あて逃にげされた) puts the victim in the subject. When someone is injured and the driver leaves without helping, the word is ひき逃にげ (hikinige). もらい事故じこ is the speaker's description, and it does not by itself settle who was responsible.

What if you just did something by accident?

"By accident" in the sense of "by mistake" is not 事故じこ. Pick a word for what happened: うっかり (carelessly), 間違まちがえて (wrong choice), 手てが滑すべって (it slipped), or たまたま (by chance). This is where English speakers most often go wrong.

English meaning Japanese word Example
Carelessly forgot うっかり うっかり忘わすれた
By mistake, wrong choice 間違まちがえて 間違まちがえて押おした
My hand slipped 手てが滑すべって 手てが滑すべって割さった
Happened to, by chance たまたま たまたま会あった

うっかり財布さいふを忘わすれました。 — I carelessly forgot my wallet. (polite, a lapse of attention) 間違まちがえて違ちがう電車でんしゃに乗のってしまいました。 — I got on the wrong train by mistake. (polite, an error of choice) 手てが滑すべってコップを割さっちゃった。 — My hand slipped and I broke the glass. (casual, unintended) たまたま駅えきで先生せんせいに会あいました。 — I happened to meet my teacher at the station. (polite, a chance encounter)

Overlaps are normal. うっかり他ほかの人ひとの傘かさを持もって帰かえった and 間違まちがえて他ほかの人ひとの傘かさを持もって帰かえった are both natural, and 間違まちがえて割さった can be said if a wrong choice led to the breakage. 手てが滑すべって is more specific when your hand slipped. You can add 〜てしまった (spoken: 〜ちゃった) to show regret or completion, which is common in stories of mistakes, but 「うっかり忘わすれた」 is perfectly natural without it, and たまたま会あった does not need it. If you say 事故じこで忘わすれました for "I forgot by accident," a listener will understand that an accident caused you to forget.

What is the difference between ハプニング, 事故じこ and 事件じけん?

ハプニング (hapuningu) focuses on surprise, 事故じこ on an accident that happened, and 事件じけん (jiken) on a notable incident or case, often a crime. They overlap, and any of them can be serious.

旅行りょこうでちょっとしたハプニングがありました。 — Something unexpected happened on the trip. (polite, light) 駅えきで事故じこがありました。 — There was an accident at the station. (polite, something went wrong) 昨日きのう、近所きんじょで事件じけんがありました。 — There was an incident in the neighborhood yesterday. (polite, something that drew attention, often a crime)

How does an accident scene sound in anime?

In some isekai anime, a common setup is トラックにひかれる (to be run over by a truck), after which the hero is reborn in another world; fans call it トラック転生てんしょう. One example is 無職むしょく転生てんしょう (Mushoku Tensei), where the hero dies after being hit by a truck. The lines below are my own reconstructions of how such a scene sounds, not quotes.

危あぶない! — Look out! (casual, shouted, just before the crash) 誰だれか、救急車きゅうきゅうしゃを呼よんで! — Somebody, call an ambulance! (casual, shouted, asking bystanders) トラックにひかれて死しんだと思おもったのに……。 — I thought I'd died after being hit by a truck, but... (casual, a hero waking up in a new world)

ひかれる is the passive of ひく (to run over), the same victim-as-subject pattern as 追突ついとつされた. In scenes like this, the characters shout short warnings and requests rather than the polite forms above.

Common mistakes

  • Using 事故じこ for "by accident." 事故じこで割さった does not mean "I broke it by accident." Say 手てが滑すべって割さっちゃった or うっかり割さってしまった.
  • Mixing up に遭あう and を起おこす. 事故じこを遭あう is wrong. It is 事故じこに遭あう and 事故じこを起おこす.
  • Writing 会あう when you mean 遭あう. Both are あう. For accidents and trouble, it is 遭あう.
  • Using 事故じこる with officials. Describe the facts in plain polite Japanese instead.

Practice

Questions 1 to 2 and 7 to 10 review patterns from above, and 3 to 6 apply them to new situations.

1. Fill in the blank: 友ともだちが自転車じてんしゃで事故じこ___遭あいました。 (My friend was in a bike accident.)

Show answer

に — 遭あう takes に for the unwelcome thing you meet.

2. Fill in the blank: 弟おとうとがバイクで事故じこ___起おこしました。 (My brother caused a motorbike accident.)

Show answer

を — 起おこす means to cause, so the accident is the direct object.

3. How do you say "I saw an accident on the way to work" in polite Japanese?

Show answer

会社かいしゃに行いく途中とちゅうで、事故じこを見みました — 見みる takes を. 交通事故こうつうじこ is also fine if it was on the road.

4. How do you say "A child got hurt" in polite Japanese?

Show answer

子こどもが怪我けがをしました — 怪我けがをする is "to get hurt," with the injured person as the subject (が).

5. You deleted a file without thinking. How do you say "I carelessly deleted the file"?

Show answer

うっかりファイルを消けしてしまいました — うっかり marks the lapse, and 〜てしまいました adds regret.

6. You took someone else's umbrella home. How do you say "I took another person's umbrella by mistake"?

Show answer

間違まちがえて他ほかの人ひとの傘かさを持もって帰かえってしまいました — 間違まちがえて fits a wrong choice. うっかり他ほかの人ひとの傘かさを… is also natural, so either is accepted. 事故じこ is not.

7. A friend texts 人身じんしんで止とまってる。 What happened?

Show answer

The train is stopped because of an accident involving a person. 人身じんしん is a short form of 人身事故じんしんじこ.

8. Another car hit yours from behind. Which is the most accurate: 事故じこに遭あいました, 事故じこを起おこしました, or 追突ついとつされました?

Show answer

追突ついとつされました is the most specific. 事故じこに遭あいました is also correct. 事故じこを起おこしました does not convey that you were hit from behind.

9. Someone broke into a neighbor's house. Which word fits best: ハプニング, 事故じこ, or 事件じけん?

Show answer

事件じけん — a notable incident, here a crime. 事故じこ would suggest an accident.

10. The 119 operator says 火事かじですか、救急きゅうきゅうですか。 Someone is injured. What do you answer?

Show answer

救急きゅうきゅうです。 — then answer the operator's next questions, such as the place.

To role-play the 119 call, a trial lesson is a good place to practise.

FAQ

What is the difference between 事故じこ and 故障こしょう? 故障こしょう (koshou) is a breakdown of a machine, such as 電車でんしゃが故障こしょうした (the train broke down). 事故じこ is an accident with damage or injury.

Can 事故じこ be used jokingly? Among friends, yes, for a small disaster like a bad haircut: 髪型かみがたが事故じこった. It is slang used in casual conversation or writing; avoid it in formal reports.

Is an earthquake or a typhoon a 事故じこ? An earthquake or typhoon itself is normally called a 自然災害しぜんさいがい (shizen saigai, natural disaster), not a 事故じこ. However, a collision caused by one can be called a 事故じこ.

What does 事故じこ多発たはつ on a road sign mean? It warns that many accidents happen at this spot, so drive carefully. 多発たはつ (tahatsu) means "frequent occurrence."

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab, and each line becomes one card.

事故	じこ — accident, incident
交通事故	こうつうじこ — traffic accident
人身事故	じんしんじこ — accident in which a person is injured or killed
事故に遭う	じこにあう — to be in an accident
事故を起こす	じこをおこす — to cause an accident
事故る	じこる — to crash (casual)
追突	ついとつ — rear-end collision
もらい事故	もらいじこ — accident one is drawn into
当て逃げ	あてにげ — leaving after hitting property
ひかれる	ひかれる — to be run over
故障	こしょう — breakdown, malfunction
災害	さいがい — disaster
自然災害	しぜんさいがい — natural disaster
多発	たはつ — frequent occurrence
火事	かじ — fire
手が滑る	てがすべる — to have one's hand slip
怪我	けが — injury
大丈夫	だいじょうぶ — okay, all right
救急車	きゅうきゅうしゃ — ambulance
運転を見合わせる	うんてんをみあわせる — to temporarily suspend or hold off running train services
うっかり	うっかり — carelessly, absent-mindedly
間違える	まちがえる — to make a mistake, to get wrong
たまたま	たまたま — by chance, happened to
ハプニング	はぷにんぐ — unexpected event, surprise
事件	じけん — incident, case, crime

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. The example sentences in this article are written by me for learners. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: Aichi Prefectural Police, what to do after a traffic accident; Gifu City Fire Department, how to call 119; the author's own lessons.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

Want to try this in a real conversation?

30-minute trial lesson, $13. Times shown in your own timezone.

Practice it out loud with a Tokyo native. ★5.0 from 358 italki reviews.

See how the lessons work →

Book a trial lesson · $13