手口

• Reading: てぐち
• Romaji: teguchi
• Kanji breakdown: 手 (te) — hand; 口 (guchi) — mouth, opening, way
• Pronunciation: /te.ɡɯ.tɕi/

Meaning

Modus operandi; a criminal technique or trick used to deceive or commit a crime.

A noun describing the specific method or technique used in crimes or deceptive schemes. Almost always carries a negative connotation — associated with fraud, theft, scams, and other criminal activity. Common collocations include 犯行の手口 (method of the crime) and 巧妙な手口 (clever/sophisticated technique). Frequently seen in news reports and crime discussions.

Examples

1. 警察は犯人の手口を分析して捜査を進めている。 The police are analyzing the criminal's methods to advance the investigation.
2. 最近のオンライン詐欺の手口はますます巧妙になっている。 The techniques used in recent online scams are getting more and more sophisticated.
3. 同じ手口の犯行が各地で報告されている。 Crimes using the same method have been reported across the country.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, news, fraud prevention, police

Tone: serious

Origin & History

From 手 (te, hand) + 口 (guchi, opening/way). Literally 'the opening/way of the hand,' originally describing a technique or method of approach, which narrowed to mean specifically criminal or deceptive methods.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal