人質

• 読み: ひとじち
• ローマ字: hitojichi
• 漢字の分解: 人 (hito) — person; 質 (jichi/shichi) — pledge, security, hostage
• 発音: /hi.to.dʑi.tɕi/

意味

Hostage; a person seized or held as security for the fulfilment of a demand.

A noun describing a person held captive to force compliance with demands. Common collocations include 人質を取る (to take hostages), 人質を解放する (to release hostages), and 人質事件 (hostage incident). Historically, the term also referred to persons exchanged as pledges between feudal lords to ensure loyalty.

例文

1. 犯人は人質を取って建物に立てこもった。
2. 人質の安全を最優先に交渉が進められた。
3. 全員の人質が無事に解放されて安心した。

使い方ガイド

場面: crime, news, history, international affairs

トーン: serious

起源と歴史

From native Japanese 人 (hito, person) + 質 (jichi/shichi, pledge/security). Literally 'person-pledge,' originating in the feudal practice of exchanging people as guarantees of trust between allied clans.

文化的背景

時代: Feudal

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal