主犯（しゅはん）
JLPT N1 · noun
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, then stays high with no drop
Meaning: principal offender
Example sentences
- 警察が主犯を逮捕した。 — The police arrested the main culprit.
- 主犯と従犯を区別する。 — They distinguish between the principal offender and the accessory.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “主犯” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)