Word
泥棒
Meaning in Englishthief, burglar, theft
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 泥棒 mean? It denotes a person who steals property; 泥棒 is a common Japanese noun referring to someone who commits theft, from petty to more serious offenses, and is widely used in everyday speech, media, and fiction.
Main meanings
- Primary meaning: thief, a person who steals property.
- Metaphorical use: time thief (時間泥棒) or anything that steals time or resources.
- Contextual nuance: neutral to slightly pejorative; often implies non-violent theft.
How to use it
Used as a standard noun in formal and casual contexts; suitable for crime reporting, literature, media, and everyday conversation; often paired with verbs like 捕まる and 盗む.
Variants and close terms
- 盗人 (nusutto) — thief; more literary or archaic
- 強盗 (gōtō) — robber; implies armed or violent robbery
- 窃盗犯 (settōhan) — theft offender; formal/legal term
- 時間泥棒 (jikan dorobō) — time thief; metaphorical use
Composition
- 泥 — mud, dirt; connotes filth or low status
- 棒 — stick, rod; used in compounds to imply instrument or force
- 泥棒 as a whole is a native noun read dorobō; the characters combine to form a term for a thief rather than a literal image
Etymology
Native compound with kun'yomi the two kanji combine to form a common noun; the reading どろぼう (dorobō) is the established pronunciation, reflecting traditional usage rather than a direct literal reading of mud and rod.
Word class
noun (名詞)