引き渡し

• Reading: ひきわたし
• Romaji: hikiwatashi
• Kanji breakdown: 引 (in/hi) — pull, lead; 渡 (to/wata) — cross, pass over
• Pronunciation: /çi.ki.wa.ta.ɕi/

Meaning

Delivery; handover; transfer of possession. Also: extradition of a suspect to another jurisdiction.

A versatile noun covering several related senses: (1) the formal delivery of a property or goods at contract completion, especially in real estate (物件の引き渡し); (2) handing over a suspect or criminal to the authorities or to another country (身柄の引き渡し, 犯罪人引き渡し条約). Context always disambiguates. Used as a する-verb via 引き渡す (to hand over).

Examples

1. マンションの引き渡しは来月末の予定です。 Handover of the apartment is scheduled for the end of next month.
2. 容疑者を警察に引き渡す前に弁護士に連絡させた。 The suspect was allowed to contact a lawyer before being handed over to the police.
3. 犯罪人引き渡し条約に基づいて容疑者の身柄が移送された。 The suspect was transferred under the terms of the extradition treaty.

Usage Guide

Context: real estate, legal, law enforcement, contract

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Nominalisation of 引き渡す (to hand over, to pass across). 引き (pull, lead) + 渡す (to pass over, to hand across) — the action of passing something from one party to another.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal