LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N3Lesson notes · Sep 27, 2026

Victim in Japanese: 被害者ひがいしゃ, 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ, 被災者ひさいしゃ and 被害者ひがいしゃヅラ

"Victim" in Japanese is usually 被害者ひがいしゃ (ひがいしゃ, higaisha): someone who suffered harm from a crime, a scam, an accident, or someone else's actions. If the victim died, the word is 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ (ぎせいしゃ). If they were hit by an earthquake, flood or typhoon, it is 被災者ひさいしゃ (ひさいしゃ). And "playing the victim" is 被害者ひがいしゃヅラ (ひがいしゃづら) — a sharp, casual phrase for someone who acts hurt when they are actually to blame.

English uses one word for all of these. Japanese splits them by what happened, and picking the wrong one can sound cold or even offensive in a serious conversation.

The basics

What does 被害者ひがいしゃ mean?

被害者ひがいしゃ breaks into 被ひ (receive) + 害がい (harm) + 者もの (person): "a person who received harm." It covers crime, fraud, harassment, accidents and any situation where someone was hurt by something outside their control.

詐欺さぎの被害者ひがいしゃが増ふえている。 — The number of fraud victims is rising. (neutral, news) 彼女かのじょはいじめの被害者ひがいしゃだった。 — She was a victim of bullying. (neutral)

The opposite is 加害者かがいしゃ (かがいしゃ), "the person who did the harm." News reports about crimes and accidents use this pair constantly.

How do you say "became a victim"?

The natural verbs are 被害ひがいに遭あう (ひがいにあう, suffer harm) and 被害ひがいを受うける (receive harm). Using 被害者ひがいしゃになる is possible too, but it focuses on the label rather than the event.

旅行中りょこうちゅうにスリの被害ひがいに遭あった。 — I was pickpocketed while traveling. (neutral, literally "met with pickpocket harm") 台風たいふうで町まちが大おおきな被害ひがいを受うけた。 — The town was badly damaged by the typhoon. (neutral, news)

遭あう is written with a special kanji meaning "to meet with something bad." It is the same verb as 事故じこに遭あう (to have an accident).

What is 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ?

犠牲者ぎせいしゃ (ぎせいしゃ) is a victim who lost their life, or in some contexts someone sacrificed for a cause. You hear it in news about disasters, wars and major accidents.

事故じこの犠牲者ぎせいしゃに黙祷もくとうを捧ささげた。 — We held a moment of silence for the victims of the accident. (formal, a memorial)

Using 被害者ひがいしゃ for people who died is not wrong, but 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ carries the weight the situation deserves.

Beyond the basics

What is 被災者ひさいしゃ?

被災者ひさいしゃ is specifically a victim of a natural disaster: an earthquake, tsunami, flood or landslide. 被災ひさい means "to be struck by a disaster," and 被災地ひさいち (ひさいち) is the disaster-hit area.

被災者ひさいしゃのために募金ぼきんをした。 — I donated to help the disaster victims. (neutral) 被災地ひさいちでは今いまも復旧作業ふっきゅうさぎょうが続つづいている。 — Recovery work is still going on in the affected area. (neutral, news)

This is the word to use after an earthquake in Japan. 被害者ひがいしゃ would sound like there was a criminal. When commentators argue that a disaster could have been prevented, the label shifts from 天災てんさい (natural) to 人災じんさい (man-made), and 天災てんさい and 人災じんさい quotes the news line 防ふせげたはずの人災じんさいだという声こえもある.

What does 被害者ひがいしゃヅラ mean?

ヅラ (from 面めん, つら, "face") is a rough suffix meaning "acting like" or "putting on the face of." 被害者ひがいしゃヅラ is "playing the victim": acting hurt and wronged when you are the one who caused the problem.

自分じぶんが悪わるいのに、被害者ひがいしゃヅラするのはやめて。 — Stop playing the victim when it's your own fault. (casual, an argument)

It is sharp, and you should only use it when you mean it. It also appears as 被害者面ひがいしゃづら (ひがいしゃづら) in writing. The same ヅラ appears in 先輩せんぱいヅラ (acting like a senior) and 彼氏かれしヅラ (acting like someone's boyfriend without being one), which are common in anime.

A related phrase is 被害者意識ひがいしゃいしき (ひがいしゃいしき), "a victim mentality" — the habit of always feeling wronged. It is more neutral and can be used in serious discussion.

What is 風評ふうひょう被害ひがい?

風評ふうひょう被害ひがい (ふうひょうひがい) is harm caused by rumors: a region, product or business that loses customers because of a bad reputation that isn't based on facts. It is common in Japanese news, often about food from a particular area after an accident or a scare.

風評ふうひょう被害ひがいで、農家のうかの売り上うりあげが落おちた。 — Farmers' sales dropped because of harmful rumors. (neutral, news)

There is no neat English equivalent. "Reputational damage" is close, but 風評ふうひょう被害ひがい specifically means the rumors are unfair.

How do you talk about being a victim of something small?

For small everyday annoyances, Japanese often uses the suffering passive instead of 被害者ひがいしゃ: 雨あめに降ふられた (I got rained on), 隣となりの人ひとにタバコを吸すわれた (the person next to me smoked, to my annoyance). This is the passive form with a sense of "it happened to me and I didn't like it." For more, see the passive form.

Calling yourself a 被害者ひがいしゃ over something small can sound dramatic, so the passive is usually the more natural choice.

What is 被害届ひがいとどけ?

If something is stolen from you in Japan, the police will talk about a 被害届ひがいとどけ (ひがいとどけ): the official report that you were a victim of a crime. You "submit" it with 出だす.

財布さいふを盗ぬすまれたので、交番こうばんで被害届ひがいとどけを出だした。 — My wallet was stolen, so I filed a report at the police box. (neutral)

This is one of the most practical words in this article for travelers. At a 交番こうばん (こうばん, police box), saying 被害届ひがいとどけを出だしたいです is enough to get the process started. For a lost item that wasn't stolen, the word is different: 遺失いしつ届とどけ (いしつとどけ), a lost-property report.

Common mistakes

  • Using 被害者ひがいしゃ for disaster victims. After an earthquake, say 被災者ひさいしゃ. 被害者ひがいしゃ suggests someone caused it.
  • Using 被害者ひがいしゃ for people who died in a tragedy. 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ carries the right weight.
  • Saying 被害ひがいをした. Harm is something you receive: 被害ひがいを受うけた or 被害ひがいに遭あった. The person who caused it 被害ひがいを与あたえた.
  • Using 被害者ひがいしゃヅラ lightly. It is an accusation. With a friend who is just complaining, it can start a real fight.
  • Calling yourself a 被害者ひがいしゃ over small things. For getting rained on or a noisy neighbor, the suffering passive sounds more natural.

Which word should you use?

Word Reading Who Example
被害者ひがいしゃ ひがいしゃ Victim of crime, fraud, harm 詐欺さぎの被害者ひがいしゃ
加害者かがいしゃ かがいしゃ The one who caused the harm 事故じこの加害者かがいしゃ
犠牲者ぎせいしゃ ぎせいしゃ A victim who died 事故じこの犠牲者ぎせいしゃ
被災者ひさいしゃ ひさいしゃ Victim of a natural disaster 地震じしんの被災者ひさいしゃ
被害者ひがいしゃヅラ ひがいしゃづら Someone playing the victim 被害者ひがいしゃヅラするな
風評ふうひょう被害ひがい ふうひょうひがい Harm caused by unfair rumors 風評ふうひょう被害ひがいを受うけた

Practice

Answers are hidden — try your own sentence first, then open. Questions 1 and 2 are a pair: two kinds of victims, two different words.

1. "Most of the scam victims were contacted by phone." (neutral, news)

Show answer

詐欺さぎの被害者ひがいしゃの多おおくは、電話でんわで連絡れんらくを受うけていた。 — a crime or scam: 被害者ひがいしゃ.

2. "Many people were affected by the earthquake." (talking about the victims)

Show answer

地震じしんで多おおくの人ひとが被災ひさいした。 — natural disaster: 被災ひさい. The people are 被災者ひさいしゃ.

3. "I got pickpocketed in the station." (neutral)

Show answer

駅えきでスリの被害ひがいに遭あった。 — 被害ひがいに遭あう is the natural "suffered harm."

4. Fix this: 台風たいふうで町まちが大おおきな被害ひがいをした。

Show answer

台風たいふうで町まちが大おおきな被害ひがいを受うけた。 — harm is received: 受うける, not する.

5. "Stop playing the victim." (casual, an argument)

Show answer

被害者ひがいしゃヅラするのはやめて。 — ヅラ is "putting on the face of." Sharp, so use it only when you mean it.

6. "We prayed for the victims of the accident." (formal, the victims died)

Show answer

事故じこの犠牲者ぎせいしゃのために祈いのった。 — victims who died: 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ.

7. "Sales fell because of unfair rumors." (neutral)

Show answer

風評ふうひょう被害ひがいで売り上うりあげが落おちた。 — rumor damage: 風評ふうひょう被害ひがい.

8. "I got rained on." (casual, a small annoyance)

Show answer

雨あめに降ふられた。 — for small things, the suffering passive is more natural than 被害者ひがいしゃ.

9. What is the opposite of 被害者ひがいしゃ in a news story about a car accident?

Show answer

加害者かがいしゃ — 加か is "add": the person who added the harm.

Bring a short news item to a trial lesson and pick between 被害者ひがいしゃ, 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ and 被災者ひさいしゃ for each person it mentions.

FAQ

Is 被害者ひがいしゃ formal? It is neutral. It works in news, at the police station and in conversation.

What is the difference between 被害ひがい and 損害そんがい? 被害ひがい is harm to people or places. 損害そんがい (そんがい) is financial loss or damage to property, common in insurance and business: 損害賠償そんがいばいしょう (compensation for damages).

How do you say "victim blaming"? There is no single fixed word. People say 被害者ひがいしゃを責せめる (blame the victim), or 被害者ひがいしゃ叩たたき (victim bashing) online.

Is ヅラ rude? Yes, it is rough. 面つら (つら) is a rough word for "face," and adding it to a noun is always a little mocking.

How do you say "survivor"? 生存者せいぞんしゃ (せいぞんしゃ) for someone who survived a disaster or accident. For crime, 被害者ひがいしゃ is still used.

Can 犠牲ぎせい be used without death? Yes. 犠牲ぎせいにする means "to sacrifice": 睡眠すいみんを犠牲ぎせいにして勉強べんきょうした, "I studied at the cost of sleep."

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

被害者	ひがいしゃ — victim
加害者	かがいしゃ — perpetrator, the one who caused harm
被害	ひがい — harm, damage
被害に遭う	ひがいにあう — to suffer harm
犠牲者	ぎせいしゃ — victim (who died)
犠牲	ぎせい — sacrifice
被災者	ひさいしゃ — disaster victim
被災地	ひさいち — disaster-hit area
被害者ヅラ	ひがいしゃづら — playing the victim
被害者意識	ひがいしゃいしき — victim mentality
風評被害	ふうひょうひがい — damage from unfair rumors
詐欺	さぎ — fraud, scam
スリ	すり — pickpocket
損害	そんがい — financial damage, loss
生存者	せいぞんしゃ — survivor
復旧	ふっきゅう — recovery, restoration
募金	ぼきん — donation, fundraising
被害届	ひがいとどけ — police report of a crime
交番	こうばん — police box
遺失届	いしつとどけ — lost-property report

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. 被害者ひがいしゃヅラ is one of those words learners pick up from dramas and then want to check before using — and checking first is the right instinct, because it is much sharper than "playing the victim" sounds in English. For more on how Japanese talks about things that happen to you, see the causative-passive.

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Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

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