Japanese for Kids · Level 7
90 words
Japanese word
鬼ごっこ
Pronunciation
Romajionigokko
Meaning
- nountag
Example
友だちと鬼ごっこをします。tomo da chi to oni go kko o shi ma su
I play tag with my friends.
More examples
休み時間に、友だちを鬼ごっこに誘いました。yasu mi ji kan ni tomo da chi o oni go kko ni saso i ma shi ta
During recess, I invited my friend to play tag.
Core concept
It is a chase game in which one player pursues the others and the caught player takes the chasing role.
Common phrases
鬼ごっこをするoni go kko o su ru
play tag
鬼ごっこを始めるoni go kko o haji me ru
start a game of tag
鬼ごっこに誘うoni go kko ni saso u
invite someone to play tag
Similar words
追いかけっこoikakekko: A game in which children chase one another, with no required change of role after a catch.
Definition in Japanese
鬼役を決め、鬼が他の人を追いかけて捕まえる子どもの遊び。oni yaku o ki me oni ga hoka no hito o o i ka ke te tsuka ma e ru ko do mo no aso bi
Word origin
The compound combines 鬼 (oni, "ogre") with ごっこ (gokko, "make-believe play"), a suffix used for children's imitation games.
Usage tips
- For 鬼ごっこ (oni-gokko), the English word tag has the game sense in play tag but can also mean a label attached to an object.