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How to say 'Joke' in Japanese | 冗談

Wondering how to say 'Joke' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Joke is 'Joudan', written as 冗談 in Japanese.'Joke' in hiragana is じょうだん.

    word

    冗談

    Meaning

    Joke

    Reading

    じょうだん

    joudan

    Kanji

    Redundant, Superfluous Discuss

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '冗談 (じょうだん)' means 'joke'. It refers to something said or done to provoke laughter or amusement, often in a playful or lighthearted manner. This word is commonly used in casual conversations and can be part of phrases like '冗談を言う (じょうだんをいう)', which means 'to tell a joke'. For example: That was just a joke「それはただの冗談だった」(それはただのじょうだんだった). Don't take it seriously, it's a joke「真剣に受け取らないで、冗談だよ」(しんけんにうけとらないで、じょうだんだよ). The word can also imply teasing or sarcasm depending on the context.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    8

    Frequency

    3519

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 冗談

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Redundant, Superfluous

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Discuss

Words Related to 冗談 Through the Kanji

These 3 Words contain the Kanji 談 as well.

  • word

    相談

    Meaning

    Discussion, Consultation

  • word

    雑談

    Meaning

    Chat

  • word

    対談

    Meaning

    Dialogue

Learn the Word 冗談

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What does 'Joudan' (冗談) mean?

'Joudan' means 'Joke' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.