Japanese word

ジョーク

Pronunciation

Romajijōku

Meaning

  • nounjoke

Example

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.

Illustration for ジョーク (joke)

More examples

彼は会議の緊張を和らげるため、ジョークを一つ言いました。kare wa kai gi no kin chō o yawa ra ge ru ta me jō ku o hito tsu i i ma shi ta

He told a joke to ease the tension at the meeting.

Core concept

A joke uses words or situations to create amusement, often through an unexpected connection or twist.

Common phrases

  • ジョークを言うjō ku o yū

    tell a joke

  • ジョークを飛ばすjō ku o to ba su

    crack a joke

Similar words

冗談jōdan: A playful remark or story that is not meant to be taken as a serious statement.
しゃれshare: A humorous expression formed through clever wording, often with a second meaning.
駄洒落dajare: A wordplay joke that uses similar sounds or more than one meaning.
ギャグgyagu: A short piece of comic speech or action that produces amusement.

Definition in Japanese

人を楽しませたり笑わせたりするために述べる、面白みのある話や言葉。hito o tano shi ma se ta ri wara wa se ta ri su ru ta me ni no be ru omo shiro mi no a ru hanashi ya koto ba

Word origin

The noun ジョーク (jōku, "joke") is borrowed from English joke, which traces back to Latin jocus, meaning "play or jest".

Usage tips

  • In English, an inside joke depends on shared knowledge, so a sentence can be funny to one group but not to outsiders.

Other meanings

  • gagnoun
  • wisecracknoun

Word lists with this word