裁判

• Reading: さいばん
• Romaji: saiban
• Kanji breakdown: 裁 (sai) — to cut, to judge; 判 (ban) — to judge, to decide
• Pronunciation: /saɪ.baɴ/

Meaning

Trial; judgement; a legal proceeding in court to determine guilt or settle disputes.

A noun and suru-verb referring to the judicial process of examining evidence and rendering a verdict. Common collocations include 裁判を起こす (to file a lawsuit), 裁判にかける (to bring to trial), and 裁判官 (judge). Japan introduced a lay judge system (裁判員制度) in 2009.

Examples

1. 来週から裁判が始まる予定だ。 The trial is scheduled to begin next week.
2. 裁判の結果に多くの人が関心を持っている。 Many people are interested in the outcome of the trial.
3. 彼は交通事故の裁判に証人として呼ばれた。 He was called as a witness in the traffic accident trial.

Usage Guide

Context: law, news, crime

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Composed of 裁 (to cut, to judge) and 判 (to judge, to decide). Both characters relate to making decisions, emphasizing the deliberative nature of trials.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal