軟禁

• Reading: なんきん
• Romaji: nankin
• Kanji breakdown: 軟 (nan) — soft, gentle; 禁 (kin) — prohibit, confine
• Pronunciation: /naŋkin/

Meaning

House arrest; soft detention; confinement to a specific location without formal imprisonment.

A compound of 軟 (soft, gentle) and 禁 (prohibit, confine). 軟禁 denotes a form of restriction of movement that falls short of formal imprisonment — the subject is confined to their home or a particular building, unable to leave freely. It appears in political contexts (dissident placed under house arrest) and, occasionally, in corporate and family situations (a CEO 'voluntarily' confined while a scandal is managed).

Examples

1. 反政府活動家は政府によって自宅に軟禁された。 The anti-government activist was placed under house arrest by the government.
2. 証人を会社施設内に軟禁するような行為は人権侵害にあたる。 Confining a witness to company premises amounts to a human rights violation.
3. 軟禁状態に置かれた外交官は外部との連絡を遮断された。 The diplomat placed under house arrest was cut off from contact with the outside world.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, human rights, law, journalism

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Compound of 軟 (nan) — soft, gentle, and 禁 (kin) — prohibition, confinement. The 軟 prefix distinguishes this from 厳禁 (strict prohibition) or formal imprisonment (拘禁), implying a less overt but still coercive form of detention.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: General