Japanese word

嘘

Pronunciation

Romajiuso

Meaning

  • nounlie

Example

それは嘘です。so re wa uso de su

That is a lie.

Illustration for 嘘 (lie)

More examples

友達に嘘をつきました。tomo dachi ni uso o tsu ki ma shi ta

I told a lie to my friend.

Core concept

A lie presents a statement as true even though it does not match reality.

Common phrases

  • 嘘をつくuso o tsu ku

    tell a lie

  • 嘘を見抜くuso o mi nu ku

    detect a lie

Similar words

偽りitsuwari: An untrue statement that conceals the truth or misleads someone.
でたらめdetarame: A claim made without a reliable basis, often presented as true.
嘘っぱちusoppachi: A casual and emphatic term for a completely false statement.

Definition in Japanese

事実でないことを事実であるかのように述べること。ji jitsu de na i ko to o ji jitsu de a ru ka no yō ni no be ru ko to

Word origin

The word 嘘 (uso, "lie") belongs to native Japanese vocabulary, but its origin is uncertain, and the kanji spelling does not provide a reliable etymology.

Usage tips

  • In casual Japanese, 嘘 (uso) can be exclaimed as a surprised reaction to something that seems unbelievable, rather than as the name of a deliberate false statement.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word