Meaning
The kanji 囚 means prisoner, captive, someone confined against their will. That directness isn't arbitrary — it's written into the character's anatomy.
囚 is an ideograph built from two components. The outer radical 囗 (くにがまえ, kunigamae) represents an enclosure. Inside sits 人 (ひと, hito), meaning person. A person trapped inside a boundary. The image maps directly to the meaning, with no abstraction required.
The concept extends well beyond prison walls. The verb 囚われる (torawareru) describes being mentally or emotionally trapped — stuck in grief, bound by routine, unable to think past ingrained assumptions. This figurative range is why 囚 matters even in everyday Japanese contexts.
At N1 level with just 5 strokes, 囚 carries no elementary school grade assignment, reflecting its specialized register. You'll encounter it most often in formal writing, journalism, and literature.
Readings
囚 has one On'yomi and one Kun'yomi root. Each appears in distinct contexts with its own characteristic usage.
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The On'yomi is シュウ (SHŪ). It surfaces mainly in compound nouns, lending a formal or legalistic tone to the words it forms.
- 囚人 (shūjin) — prisoner, convict. The most common compound. 人 (person) enclosed by 囚 — the characters spell out their own meaning.
- 囚徒 (shūto) — prisoner (literary/historical). More common in older texts and formal documents than in daily speech.
- 囚犯 (shūhan) — prisoner, offender. Rare in modern Japanese; the term is more at home in Chinese. Worth recognizing if you read historical or cross-cultural texts.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The Kun'yomi root とら
(tora-) doesn't stand alone. It integrates into specific verb and noun expressions.
囚われる (torawareru) — to be captured; to be trapped. Used both literally (captured in battle) and figuratively (trapped by anxiety, bound by shame).
囚われの身 (toraware no mi) — a captive person. 身 (mi) here means 'self' or 'body,' grounding the expression in the physical reality of being held.
囚われの姫 (toraware no hime) — a captured princess. A stock phrase in folklore and fiction; instantly recognizable once you know 囚われる.
Common Words & Compounds
People and Status
- 囚人 (shūjin) — prisoner, convict. The default term for someone held in custody.
- 囚徒 (shūto) — prisoner (archaic/formal). Largely replaced by 囚人 in everyday use; survives in historical writing and legal contexts.
- 囚われ人 (torawarebito) — captive. Emphasizes the state of captivity rather than criminal conviction.
- 政治犯 (seijihan) — political prisoner. The standard term; 囚 is sometimes appended for stylistic emphasis, but isn't needed.
States of Confinement
- 囚われる (torawareru) — to be captured; to be trapped. The most versatile expression built on this kanji, spanning physical capture and psychological confinement.
- 囚禁 (shūkin) — imprisonment, confinement (archaic). Modern Japanese uses 監禁 (kankin) instead. You may encounter 囚禁 in older legal texts or literature.
Figurative and Abstract Uses
- 心の囚人 (kokoro no shūjin) — prisoner of one's own mind. Used when someone is paralyzed by guilt, obsession, or grief.
- 習慣に囚われる (shūkan ni torawareru) — to be trapped by habit. One of the most common figurative uses of 囚われる — habit as an invisible cage.
- 常識に囚われる (jōshiki ni torawareru) — to be stuck in conventional thinking. Literally 'trapped by common sense' — unable to see past familiar assumptions.
Example Sentences
その囚人は脱獄を試みた。
Sono shūjin wa datsugoku o kokoromita.
The prisoner attempted to break out of jail.
彼女は過去の悲劇に囚われていた。
Kanojo wa kako no higeki ni torawarete ita.
She remained trapped by the tragedy of her past.
政治的囚人の解放が求められた。
Seijiteki shūjin no kaihō ga motomerareta.
Demands grew for the release of the political prisoners.
自由を奪われた囚われの身は、希望を失っていた。
Jiyū o ubawareta toraware no mi wa, kibō o ushinatte ita.
Stripped of freedom, the captive had lost all hope.
古い慣習に囚われず、新しい視点を持つことが大切だ。
Furui kanshū ni torawarezu, atarashii shiten o motsu koto ga taisetsu da.
Not being bound by old customs — that's where a fresh perspective begins.
監獄には数多の囚人が収容されている。
Kangoku ni wa amata no shūjin ga shūyō sarete iru.
The prison holds a great many inmates.
彼は自分の弱さに囚われて、前へ進めなかった。
Kare wa jibun no yowasa ni torawarete, mae e susumenakatta.
Held back by his own weakness, he couldn't move forward.
彼女は悪夢に囚われ、夜も眠れなかった。
Kanojo wa akumu ni toraware, yoru mo nemurenakatta.
Haunted by nightmares, she couldn't sleep through the night.
Memory Tip
The structure is the mnemonic. 囗 is a box. 人 is a person. A person locked inside a box is a prisoner.
That image carries into 囚われる. When someone is 囚われ by fear or past mistakes, picture them still inside that enclosure — walls invisible but no less real. The character's logic holds whether the confinement is literal or not.