Japanese Conversation · Level 82
60 words
Japanese word
ボケる
Pronunciation
Romajibokeru
Meaning
- verbbecome senile
Example
祖父は年を取るとボケます。so fu wa toshi o to ru to bo ke ma su
My grandfather grows senile as he gets older.
More examples
寝不足が続くと、頭がボケてしまいます。ne fu soku ga tsuzu ku to atama ga bo ke te shi ma i ma su
When I keep losing sleep, my mind becomes dull.
Core concept
Describes a person becoming mentally less sharp with age and showing a childlike lack of judgment.
Common phrases
頭がボケるatama ga bo ke ru
become mentally dull
年を取ってボケるtoshi o to tte bo ke ru
become senile with age
Similar words
耄碌するmōrokusuru: To decline in mental ability as a natural effect of aging.
鈍るniburu: To lose sharpness or quickness in thought or response.
Definition in Japanese
年齢を重ねて記憶力や判断力が衰え、幼いような状態になる。nen rei o kasa ne te ki oku ryoku ya han dan ryoku ga otoro e osana i yō na jō tai ni na ru
Word origin
The native verb ボケる (bokeru) is commonly written 呆ける (bokeru) or 惚ける (bokeru), forms associated with becoming mentally dull or absent-minded.
Usage tips
- In conversational Japanese, ボケる (bokeru) can sound blunt or disrespectful when describing a real person's decline, so it is not a neutral medical term.
Other meanings
- become childishverb
Opposites
- 冴えるsaerubecome mentally sharpverb
Related words
- ボケbokesenilitynoun