English–Japanese

“joke” in Japanese

Japanese

Alsoジョーク (jōku)

Pronunciation

Romajijōdan

Example

それは冗談です。so re wa jō dan de su

That's a joke.

Illustration for 冗談 (joke)

How to say “joke” in Japanese

“Joke” in Japanese is 冗談 (jōdan).

A playful remark separates its surface meaning from the speaker's serious intent, often making conversation lighter.

Full entry for 冗談: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 冗談

彼の冗談にみんなが笑いました。kare no jō dan ni mi n na ga wara i ma shi ta

Everyone laughed at his joke.

Tips for using 冗談

  • A 冗談 (jōdan) may be based on something untrue, but listeners understand from the context and tone that the speaker is not presenting it as a serious fact.

Other Japanese words for “joke”

そのジョークで皆が笑いました。so no jō ku de mina ga wara i ma shi ta

Everyone laughed at that joke.

“joke” in other languages