How to say 'Irony' or 'Sarcasm' in Japanese | 皮肉

Wondering how to say 'Irony' or 'Sarcasm' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Irony or Sarcasm is 'Hiniku', written as 皮肉 in Japanese.'Irony' or 'Sarcasm' in hiragana is ひにく.

word

皮肉

Meaning

Irony, Sarcasm

Reading

ひにく

hiniku

Kanji

皮Skin 肉Meat

Explanation

The Japanese adjectival noun '皮肉 (ひにく)' can mean both 'sarcasm' and 'irony'. It is used to describe situations, remarks, or expressions that convey a meaning opposite to what is literally stated, often with a mocking or critical tone. For example: His sarcastic remark hurt her feelings「彼の皮肉な発言は彼女の気持ちを傷つけた」(かれのひにくなはつげんはかのじょのきもちをきずつけた). It's ironic that the firefighter's house burned down「消防士の家が燃えたのは皮肉だ」(しょうぼうしのいえがもえたのはひにくだ). The word can also be used to describe situations where the outcome is contrary to what was expected, highlighting a twist of fate or unexpected result.

Part Of Speech

adjectival noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

7305

Composition

kanji

Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 皮肉

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

kanji

皮

Meaning

Skin

kanji

肉

Meaning

Meat

Words Related to 皮肉 Through the Kanji 皮

These 3 Words contain the Kanji 皮 as well.

word

皮膚

Meaning

Skin

word

皮

Meaning

Skin, Peel

word

毛皮

Meaning

Fur

Words Related to 皮肉 Through the Kanji 肉

These 6 Words contain the Kanji 肉 as well.

word

牛肉

Meaning

Beef

word

肉

Meaning

Meat

word

豚肉

Meaning

Pork

word

肉体

Meaning

Body

word

筋肉

Meaning

Muscle

word

焼き肉

Meaning

Grilled meat

Learn the Word 皮肉

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What does 'Hiniku' (皮肉) mean?

'Hiniku' means 'Irony' or 'Sarcasm' .

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