ゲームオーバー
gēmu ōbā[ɡe̞ːmɯ̟ o̞ːba̠ː]
In Japanese, 'game over' can be expressed as ゲームオーバー (gēmu ōbā). Wiktionary also lists 詰んだ (tsunda).
Meaning: end of some ongoing situation (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ゲームオーバー | gēmu ōbā | [ɡe̞ːmɯ̟ o̞ːba̠ː] (narrow) |
| 詰んだ | tsunda |
The phrase ゲームオーバー is a common and straightforward way to express 'game over' in Japanese. Another way to convey that a situation is hopeless or has reached an unavoidable end is to use the colloquial term 詰んだ.
Which one should you use?
While ゲームオーバー is a direct loanword from English, 詰んだ is a more natural, colloquial way to express that a situation is hopeless or has reached an unavoidable end.
How do you pronounce it?
gēmu ōbā
Did you know?
- In certain Japanese RPGs, instead of 'game over', the screen might display 全滅 (zenmetsu), which literally means 'total annihilation'. This is common when a player's entire party of characters is defeated at once.
- In Japanese gaming culture, when a player loses, they might say お疲れ様 (otsukaresama) instead of 'game over'. This acknowledges the effort put into the match, regardless of the outcome.
- The word 詰んだ (tsunda) originates from the game of Shogi, where it describes a state where the King is under checkmate and cannot escape. It was once purely a technical term for a board game before becoming popular internet slang.
Examples in context
- 試合終了ですか？Is the game over?
- もうダメ、負けた！No more, I lost!
- もう、ゲームオーバーだ。mō, gēmu ōbā da.Well, it's game over.
- ここでゲームオーバーになるなんて。koko de gēmu ōbā ni naru nante.To think it would be game over right here.
- 失敗した。ゲームオーバーだよ。shippai shita. gēmu ōbā da yo.I failed. It's game over.
Example conversation
A young man and woman are looking at a broken laptop.
- 大翔 Hirotoパソコンが壊れた。ゲームオーバーだ。pasokon ga kowareta. gēmu ōbā da.The computer broke. It's game over.
- 結衣 Yui大翔、大丈夫？本当に動かないの？Hiroto, daijōbu? hontō ni ugokanai no?Hiroto, are you okay? Is it really not working?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、完全にゲームオーバーだよ。un, kanzen ni gēmu ōbā da yo.Yeah, it is completely game over.
- 結衣 Yuiなんてこと。新しいのを買わなきゃね。nante koto. atarashii no o kawanakya ne.Oh no. You'll have to buy a new one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “game over” translations and entries ゲームオーバー, 詰んだ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
