愚かな
oroka na
In Japanese, the word for 'dumb' can be expressed in several ways, with 愚かな (oroka na) being the default form. Wiktionary also lists ばかな (baka na).
Meaning: stupid (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 愚かな | oroka na |
| ばかな | baka na |
The term is used to describe someone or something as stupid. The word バカ (Baka) translates to idiot or stupid, and the word アホ (Aho) is colloquially used to describe someone as stupid or dumb.
Which one should you use?
The form ばかな is more common in daily conversation and can range from a lighthearted tease to a harsh insult, whereas 愚かな sounds more literary or formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding だな (da na) to the end of the phrase ばかだな is a common way to assert 'You are [stupid]' in an informal, often blunt, manner.
How do you pronounce it?
oroka na
Did you know?
- The word バカ is sometimes written using characters that mean 'foolish' and 'person', but it can also be interpreted as 'enlightened' or 'liberated' in certain Zen Buddhist contexts.
- In the Kansai region, アホ is often used as a friendly term of endearment among friends, while バカ can be perceived as a much harsher and more offensive insult.
- While ばか is commonly used as an adjective, it can also function as a prefix to mean 'extremely' or 'excessively', such as in ばか高い to describe something 'stupidly expensive'.
Examples in context
- 彼は愚かな行動を取ったHe did something foolish.
- その本は愚劣な論理を持っているThat book has inferior reasoning.
- 彼はアホだから、信じないほうがいいHe's dumb, so it's better not to believe him.
- あの人はバカだけど、面白いThat person is dumb, but funny.
- それは愚かな間違いです。Sore wa oroka na machigai desu.That is a foolish mistake.
- 愚かな計画はやめてください。Oroka na keikaku wa yamete kudasai.Please stop that stupid plan.
- 彼は愚かな行動をとった。Kare wa oroka na kōdō o totta.He took a foolish action.
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are discussing a bad plan.
- 結衣 Yui本当に愚かな計画だと思うわ。Hontou ni orokana keikaku da to omou wa.I think it's a really dumb plan.
- 大翔 Hirotoどうしてそう思うの？Doushite sou omou no?Why do you think so?
- 結衣 Yuiリスクが大きすぎるからよ。Risuku ga ookisugiru kara yo.Because the risk is too great.
- 大翔 Hiroto確かに、君の言う通りだね。Tashika ni, kimi no iu toori da ne.True, you are right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dumb” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
