罪を被せる
つみをかぶせる
expression
to pin a crime on someone; to frame someone
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 罪を被せる | 罪を被せない |
| Present polite | 罪を被せます | 罪を被せません |
| Past | 罪を被せた | 罪を被せなかった |
| Past polite | 罪を被せました | 罪を被せませんでした |
| て form | 罪を被せて | 罪を被せなくて |
| ている present | 罪を被せている | 罪を被せていない |
| ている polite | 罪を被せています | 罪を被せていません |
| ている past | 罪を被せていた | 罪を被せていなかった |
| ている past polite | 罪を被せていました | 罪を被せていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 罪を被せれば | 罪を被せなければ |
| Conditional たら | 罪を被せたら | 罪を被せなかったら |
| Volitional | 罪を被せよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 罪を被せましょう | — |
| Potential | 罪を被せられる | 罪を被せられない |
| Passive | 罪を被せられる | 罪を被せられない |
| Causative | 罪を被せさせる | 罪を被せさせない |
| Imperative | 罪を被せろ | 罪を被せるな |
1.
to pin a crime on someone; to frame someone; to shift the blame
To make someone else take the blame for something they did not do. Literally means to "put guilt/crime on top of someone." Used for both serious criminal framing and everyday blame-shifting.
他人に罪を被せた。
He pinned the blame on someone else.
無実の人に罪を被せるのは許せない。
It's unforgivable to frame an innocent person.
自分の失敗の罪を部下に被せるような上司は信頼されない。
A boss who pins the blame for their own failures on subordinates won't be trusted.
Composed of 罪 (crime, guilt, blame) + を (object marker) + 被せる (to put on top of, to cover with). The verb 被せる literally means to place something over or on top of someone, like putting a hat on them — here, the "crime" is placed on them. Compare with 罪を被る (to take the blame), where the person themselves "wears" the guilt.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 罪を被せられる: to have the blame pinned on oneself (passive)
- 無実の人に罪を被せる: to frame an innocent person
- 他人に罪を被せる: to pin blame on others
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 罪を着せる: to frame, to accuse falsely — very similar in meaning; uses the metaphor of "dressing" someone in guilt
- 罪を被る: to take the blame — the inverse; the person accepts the guilt themselves
- 濡れ衣を着せる: to put a false charge on someone — a more literary expression meaning to falsely accuse