警察

• Reading: けいさつ
• Romaji: keisatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 警 (kei) — warn, guard; 察 (satsu) — examine, inspect
• Pronunciation: /keː.sa.tsɯ/

Meaning

Police. Refers to the police as an institution or the police force in general.

Refers to the police organization as a whole, not an individual officer. An individual police officer is 警察官 (keisatsukan) formally, or おまわりさん (omawarisan) colloquially. 警察 is used when talking about reporting to the police, calling the police, or the police as a system.

Examples

1. 財布をなくしたので警察に行きました。 I lost my wallet, so I went to the police.
2. 警察の電話番号は110番です。 The police phone number is 110.
3. 警察が来るまで待ってください。 Please wait until the police arrive.

Usage Guide

Context: emergency, safety, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 警 (kei, 'warn/guard') and 察 (satsu, 'examine/inspect'). Together they mean 'to guard and inspect' — reflecting the role of maintaining public order.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji era

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal