半グレ

半グレ

Japanese

Kanji in this term
半
はん Grade: 2
on’yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hã̠ŋɡɯ̟ᵝɾe̞]

Noun

半(はん)グレ • (hangure) 

1. a minor criminal, a semi-delinquent
   • 2007, Takeda Kōsei, Ikebukuro no teiō ga akasu hitosodate no gokui [Secret lessons from the king of Ikebukuro revealed], page 83:

     それに比(くら)べてぼくなんかは、ポーカーゲームの基(き)盤(ばん)をいじりながら、不(ふ)良(りょう)や半(はん)グレ相(あい)手(て)に、毎(まい)晩(ばん)毎(まい)晩(ばん)、札(さつ)束(たば)が飛(と)び交(か)う熱(あつ)い修(しゅ)羅(ら)場(ば)の中(なか)で罪(つみ)を犯(おか)してきたわけです。

     Sore ni kurabete boku nanka wa, pōkā gēmu no kiban o ijiri nagara, furyō ya hangure aite ni, maiban maiban, satsutaba ga tobikau atsui shuraba no naka de tsumi o okashitekita wake desu.

     I on the other hand have been guilty, while fumbling through the basics of poker, of spending every night with hoodlum and semi-delinquent partners, dropping wads of cash on a hot scene.

2. a gang of semi-delinquents
   • 2020, Shōji Yukiya, Tōkyo kaugāru [Tokyo cowgirl], page 144:

     ひょっとしたら、石(いし)垣(がき)さんは半(はん)グレと呼(よ)ばれる人(ひと)たちに襲(おそ)われたんだろうか。その可(か)能(のう)性(せい)もあるかもしれない。だから、余(よ)計(けい)に半(はん)グレの連(れん)中(ちゅう)を始(し)末(まつ)しようとしているのか。

     Hyotto shitara, Ishigaki-san wa hangure to yobareru hito-tachi ni osowareta n darō ka. Sono kanōsei mo aru kamoshirenai. Dakara, yokei ni hangure no renchū o shimatsu shiyō to shiteiru no ka.

     Perhaps Mr. Ishigaki was attacked by what they call a semi-delinquent gang. That is certainly possible. So, maybe he’s trying to deal with the bunch of punks.

Usage notes

A 半グレ gang is often distinguished from 暴力団(ぼうりょくだん) (bōryokudan, “a yakuza gang”). The latter are more strictly organized, and often considered more serious. The former may also be associated with, though not recognized as members of, a particular yakuza gang, or with a gang member.

See also

• 愚(ぐ)連(れん)隊(たい) (gurentai, “youth gang”)
• ぐれる (gureru, “go astray; become delinquent”)