馬鹿らしい
bakarashii[ba̠ka̠ɾa̠ɕiː]
The English word "absurd" can be translated into Japanese as 馬鹿らしい (bakarashii) or 荒唐な.
Meaning: contrary to reason or propriety (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 馬鹿らしい | bakarashii | [ba̠ka̠ɾa̠ɕiː] (narrow) |
| 荒唐な | kōtō na |
馬鹿らしい is used for things that are silly, ridiculous or nonsensical, often carrying a tone of contempt or dismissal. In contrast, 荒唐な is used for things that are absurd in a more formal, literary sense, such as an absurd story or an absurdly wild claim that lacks logic. Relatedly, the noun 愚鈍 can refer to that which is absurd.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
馬鹿らしい is an i-adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
bakarashii
Did you know?
- The word 馬鹿 in 馬鹿らしい is believed by some to come from the Chinese words for 'horse' and 'deer', referencing a legendary trick where a horse was passed off as a deer to deceive an emperor.
- While 馬鹿らしい is often an insult, it can be used as a soft, self-deprecating way to dismiss one's own ideas as 'absurd' to avoid sounding arrogant.
- In Japanese literature, an 'absurd' plot might be described as 荒唐無稽 (koutoumukei), a four-character idiom that literally suggests something is 'absurd and has no evidence'.
Examples in context
- その提案は非常識ですねThat proposal is absurd, isn't it?
- 彼の主張は途方も無いねHis argument is absurd, isn't it?
- その発言、ばかげているよねThat comment is absurd, right?
- あの話はとんでもなかったThat story was absurd
- こんなことがありえないよIt's absurd that something like this could happen
- そんな馬鹿らしいことは信じられません。Sonna bakarashii koto wa shinjiraremasen.I cannot believe such an absurd thing.
- 彼は馬鹿らしい冗談を言った。Kare wa bakarashii joudan o itta.He told an absurd joke.
- 馬鹿らしい争いをやめるべきだ。Bakarashii arasoi o yameru beki da.We should stop this absurd fighting.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a very expensive fashion trend.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの靴、十万円もするんだって。Kono kutsu, jū-man-en mo surun datte.I heard these shoes cost 100,000 yen.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、それは馬鹿らしいね。E, sore wa bakarashii ne.What, that's absurd.
- 大翔 Hirotoでも、人気があるらしいよ。Demo, ninki ga aru rashii yo.But apparently, they are popular.
- 美咲 Misaki信じられないよ、大翔くん。Shinjirarenai yo, Hiroto-kun.I can't believe it, Hiroto.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “absurd” translations and entries 馬鹿らしい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 馬鹿らしい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
