5

Is there a colloquial phrase in Japanese that would be the same as or similar in meaning to the English phrase "caught red handed"?

1 Answer 1

3

The idiomatic part "red-handed" can be translated with 現行犯(で).

For "catch" you use an appropriate form of 捕まる・捕える or 逮捕(する) or 取り押さえる.

For example,

被疑者を現行犯で逮捕した。
We caught the suspect red-handed.

There also appears to be a compound noun 現行犯逮捕(する) for "being caught in the act / red-handed".

1
  • 1
    +1. Note that this expression isn't figurative (unlike red-handed) nor specifically colloquial (it can be used both in colloquial and rather formal contexts). It's quite common, though, and I don't come up with any other phrases.
    – Yosh
    Jun 12, 2017 at 3:28

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .