yakuza

See also: yakuzą and Yakuza

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese やくざ (yakuza). See there for more details.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈjækuːzə/, /jəˈkuːzə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈjækuzə/, /ˈjɑː-/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈjaːkʉːzə/, /jəˈkʉːzə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ækuːzə, -uːzə
• Hyphenation: ya‧ku‧za

Noun

yakuza (plural yakuza or yakuzas)

2. A Japanese organized crime gang.
   • 2025 April 11, Junko Ogura, Helen Regan, “Japan’s biggest Yakuza crime group pledges to end decade-long gang war”, in CNN‎^[1], archived from the original on 9 May 2025:

     Japan’s largest yakuza crime syndicate has pledged to end its longstanding war with a rival faction and refrain from causing “trouble,” authorities said, as the mafia-like groups contend with falling membership and increased police crackdowns.

4. A member of that Japanese organized crime gang.

Usage notes

• The word yakuza has different plurals depending on the sense: yakuza (sense 1) and yakuzas (sense 2).

Coordinate terms

• bratva (“Russian organized crime”)
• cartel (“Latin American organized crime syndicate”)
• mafia (“Italian organized crime”)
• mob (“organized crime”)
• tong (“Chinese organized crime”)
• triad (“Hong Kong organized crime”)

Derived terms

• yak

Translations

Japanese organized crime gang

• Arabic: يَاكُوزَا (yakūzā)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 極道 / 极道 (zh) (jídào), 日本黑道 (Rìběn hēidào)

• Finnish: yakuza (fi)
• Japanese: やくざ (ja) (yakuza), ヤクザ (ja) (yakuza), 極道 (ja) (gokudō)
• Korean: 야쿠자 (ko) (yakuja)
• Malay: yakuza
• Marathi: याकुजा (yākujā)
• Mongolian: якуза (jakuza)
• Polish: yakuza (pl) f, jakuza (pl) f
• Russian: яку́дза (ru) m (jakúdza)
• Slovene: jakuza
• Spanish: yakuza (es) f, yakuzas (es) pl

member of a Japanese organized crime gang

• Arabic: يَاكُوزَا (yakūzā)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 極道 / 极道 (zh) (jídào), 如龍 / 如龙 (rúlóng)

• Finnish: yakuza (fi)
• Japanese: やくざ (ja) (yakuza), ヤクザ (ja) (yakuza)
• Korean: 야쿠자 (ko) (yakuja)
• Malay: yakuza
• Marathi: याकुजा (yākujā)
• Polish: yakuza (pl) m, jakuza (pl) m
• Russian: яку́дза (ru) m (jakúdza)

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese やくざ (yakuza).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑkuzɑ/, [ˈjɑ̝kuzɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑkuzɑ

Noun

yakuza

2. yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang)
4. yakuza (member of that crime gang)

Declension

Inflection of yakuza (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)
nominative		yakuza	yakuzat
genitive		yakuzan	yakuzoiden yakuzoitten yakuzojen
partitive		yakuzaa	yakuzoita yakuzoja
illative		yakuzaan	yakuzoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		yakuza	yakuzat
accusative	nom.	yakuza	yakuzat
	gen.	yakuzan
genitive		yakuzan	yakuzoiden yakuzoitten yakuzojen yakuzain rare
partitive		yakuzaa	yakuzoita yakuzoja
inessive		yakuzassa	yakuzoissa
elative		yakuzasta	yakuzoista
illative		yakuzaan	yakuzoihin
adessive		yakuzalla	yakuzoilla
ablative		yakuzalta	yakuzoilta
allative		yakuzalle	yakuzoille
essive		yakuzana	yakuzoina
translative		yakuzaksi	yakuzoiksi
abessive		yakuzatta	yakuzoitta
instructive		—	yakuzoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of yakuza (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative yakuzani yakuzani accusative nom. yakuzani yakuzani gen. yakuzani genitive yakuzani yakuzoideni yakuzoitteni yakuzojeni yakuzaini rare partitive yakuzaani yakuzoitani yakuzojani inessive yakuzassani yakuzoissani elative yakuzastani yakuzoistani illative yakuzaani yakuzoihini adessive yakuzallani yakuzoillani ablative yakuzaltani yakuzoiltani allative yakuzalleni yakuzoilleni essive yakuzanani yakuzoinani translative yakuzakseni yakuzoikseni abessive yakuzattani yakuzoittani instructive — — comitative — yakuzoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative yakuzasi yakuzasi accusative nom. yakuzasi yakuzasi gen. yakuzasi genitive yakuzasi yakuzoidesi yakuzoittesi yakuzojesi yakuzaisi rare partitive yakuzaasi yakuzoitasi yakuzojasi inessive yakuzassasi yakuzoissasi elative yakuzastasi yakuzoistasi illative yakuzaasi yakuzoihisi adessive yakuzallasi yakuzoillasi ablative yakuzaltasi yakuzoiltasi allative yakuzallesi yakuzoillesi essive yakuzanasi yakuzoinasi translative yakuzaksesi yakuzoiksesi abessive yakuzattasi yakuzoittasi instructive — — comitative — yakuzoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative yakuzamme yakuzamme accusative nom. yakuzamme yakuzamme gen. yakuzamme genitive yakuzamme yakuzoidemme yakuzoittemme yakuzojemme yakuzaimme rare partitive yakuzaamme yakuzoitamme yakuzojamme inessive yakuzassamme yakuzoissamme elative yakuzastamme yakuzoistamme illative yakuzaamme yakuzoihimme adessive yakuzallamme yakuzoillamme ablative yakuzaltamme yakuzoiltamme allative yakuzallemme yakuzoillemme essive yakuzanamme yakuzoinamme translative yakuzaksemme yakuzoiksemme abessive yakuzattamme yakuzoittamme instructive — — comitative — yakuzoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative yakuzanne yakuzanne accusative nom. yakuzanne yakuzanne gen. yakuzanne genitive yakuzanne yakuzoidenne yakuzoittenne yakuzojenne yakuzainne rare partitive yakuzaanne yakuzoitanne yakuzojanne inessive yakuzassanne yakuzoissanne elative yakuzastanne yakuzoistanne illative yakuzaanne yakuzoihinne adessive yakuzallanne yakuzoillanne ablative yakuzaltanne yakuzoiltanne allative yakuzallenne yakuzoillenne essive yakuzananne yakuzoinanne translative yakuzaksenne yakuzoiksenne abessive yakuzattanne yakuzoittanne instructive — — comitative — yakuzoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative yakuzansa yakuzansa accusative nom. yakuzansa yakuzansa gen. yakuzansa genitive yakuzansa yakuzoidensa yakuzoittensa yakuzojensa yakuzainsa rare partitive yakuzaansa yakuzoitaan yakuzojaan yakuzoitansa yakuzojansa inessive yakuzassaan yakuzassansa yakuzoissaan yakuzoissansa elative yakuzastaan yakuzastansa yakuzoistaan yakuzoistansa illative yakuzaansa yakuzoihinsa adessive yakuzallaan yakuzallansa yakuzoillaan yakuzoillansa ablative yakuzaltaan yakuzaltansa yakuzoiltaan yakuzoiltansa allative yakuzalleen yakuzallensa yakuzoilleen yakuzoillensa essive yakuzanaan yakuzanansa yakuzoinaan yakuzoinansa translative yakuzakseen yakuzaksensa yakuzoikseen yakuzoiksensa abessive yakuzattaan yakuzattansa yakuzoittaan yakuzoittansa instructive — — comitative — yakuzoineen yakuzoinensa

French

Alternative forms

• yakusa

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese やくざ (yakuza).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ja.ky.za/, /ja.ku.za/

• Audio (France (Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France):

  (file)

Noun

yakuza m (plural yakuzas)

2. yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang)
4. yakuza (member of that crime gang)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese やくざ (yakuza).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /jaˈkuza/ [jaˈku.za]
• Rhymes: -uza
• Syllabification: ya‧ku‧za

Noun

yakuza (plural yakuza-yakuza or para yakuza)

1. yakuza

Japanese

Romanization

yakuza

1. Rōmaji transcription of やくざ

Polish

Alternative forms

• jakuza

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English yakuza.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jaˈku.za/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uza
• Syllabification: ya‧ku‧za

Noun

yakuza f

2. yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang)

Declension

Declension of yakuza

	singular	plural
nominative	yakuza	yakuzy
genitive	yakuzy	yakuz
dative	yakuzie	yakuzom
accusative	yakuzę	yakuzy
instrumental	yakuzą	yakuzami
locative	yakuzie	yakuzach
vocative	yakuzo	yakuzy

Noun

yakuza m pers

2. yakuza (member of that crime gang)

Declension

Declension of yakuza

	singular	plural
nominative	yakuza	yakuzowie
genitive	yakuzy	yakuzów
dative	yakuzie	yakuzom
accusative	yakuzę	yakuzów
instrumental	yakuzą	yakuzami
locative	yakuzie	yakuzach
vocative	yakuzo	yakuzowie

Further reading

• yakuza in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• yakuza in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese やくざ (yakuza).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /jaˈku.zɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /jaˈku.zɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /jaˈku.za/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /jaˈku.zɐ/

• Rhymes: -uzɐ

Noun

yakuza f (plural yakuzas)

2. yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang)

Noun

yakuza m or f by sense (plural yakuzas)

2. yakuza (member of that crime gang)

Further reading

• “yakuza”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “yakuza”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), São Paulo: 7Graus, 2009–2026
• “yakuza”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “yakuza”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “yakuza”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese やくざ (yakuza).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʝaˈkuθa/ [ɟ͡ʝaˈku.θa] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ʝaˈkusa/ [ɟ͡ʝaˈku.sa] (most of Latin America, Philippines)

 

• IPA^(key): /ʃaˈkusa/ [ʃaˈku.sa] (Latin America, Philippines)

• IPA^(key): /ʃaˈkusa/ [ʃaˈku.sa] (Buenos Aires and environs)
• IPA^(key): /ʒaˈkusa/ [ʒaˈku.sa] (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay)

• Rhymes: -uθa (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• Rhymes: -usa (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: ya‧ku‧za

Noun

yakuza f (plural yakuzas)

2. yakuza (Japanese organized crime gang)

Noun

yakuza m or f by sense (plural yakuzas)

2. yakuza (member of that crime gang)