(しょうにん)

しょうにん
noun
witness
1. witness
A person who saw or heard something relevant, especially in a legal context, or someone who attests to the truth of a document or event.
証人(しょうにん)として出廷(しゅってい)する。
To appear in court as a witness.
事故(じこ)証人(しょうにん)(さが)している。
We are looking for witnesses to the accident.
結婚届(けっこんとどけ)には二人(ふたり)証人(しょうにん)署名(しょめい)必要(ひつよう)だ。
A marriage registration requires the signatures of two witnesses.

証人(しょうにん) refers to a person who testifies or attests to something, primarily in legal and official contexts.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 証人(しょうにん)喚問(かんもん): summoning a witness
  • 証人(しょうにん)尋問(じんもん): examination of a witness
  • 目撃(もくげき)証人(しょうにん): eyewitness
  • 証人(しょうにん)保護(ほご): witness protection

USAGE:
In legal proceedings, 証人(しょうにん) refers to a person who testifies, while 証拠(しょうこ) refers to physical evidence. Outside courts, 証人(しょうにん) also appears in everyday contexts like marriage registrations, which require two witnesses.

HOMOPHONES:

  • 商人(しょうにん): merchant
  • 承認(しょうにん): approval, authorization