犠牲(ぎせい)

ぎせい
noun
sacrifice; victim
1. sacrifice; giving something up
The act of giving up something valuable for a greater purpose or for someone else's benefit.
家族(かぞく)のために自分(じぶん)を犠牲(ぎせい)にした。
She sacrificed herself for her family.
仕事(しごと)のために健康(けんこう)を犠牲(ぎせい)にするべきではない。
You shouldn't sacrifice your health for work.
多(おお)くの犠牲(ぎせい)を払(はら)って、ようやく平和(へいわ)が訪(おとず)れた。
After many sacrifices, peace finally came.
2. victim; casualty
A person who suffers harm or death as a result of a disaster, accident, crime, or war.
地震(じしん)で多(おお)くの犠牲者(ぎせいしゃ)が出(で)た。
There were many victims in the earthquake.
事故(じこ)の犠牲(ぎせい)になった方々(かたがた)に哀悼(あいとう)の意(い)を表(ひょう)します。
We express our condolences to those who fell victim to the accident.
戦争(せんそう)で罪(つみ)のない市民(しみん)が犠牲(ぎせい)になった。
Innocent civilians became victims of the war.

USAGE (Sense 1):
Used with を犠牲(ぎせい)にする (to sacrifice something) and 犠牲(ぎせい)を払(はら)う (to pay a sacrifice).

USAGE (Sense 2):
Used with 犠牲(ぎせい)になる (to become a victim) and 犠牲者(ぎせいしゃ) (victim/casualty).

Common collocations

In baseball, 犠牲(ぎせい)フライ (sacrifice fly) and 犠牲(ぎせい)バント (sacrifice bunt) use this word in its sports sense.

Related Words

Related: 自己犠牲(じこぎせい) (self-sacrifice)
Compare: 代償(だいしょう) (compensation, price to pay)
Compare: 身代(みが)わり (substitute)
Related: 餌食(えじき) (prey)
Compare: 代価(だいか) (price)
general
Added 2026.3.3 18:53 · Revised 2026.10.15 22:26
14500/14743_gisei