How to Say "Games" in Japanese

ゲーム

gēmu[ɡe̞ːmɯ̟]

The English phrase 'games' is translated into Japanese as ゲーム (gēmu).

In modern Japanese conversation, ゲーム most frequently refers to video games or digital gaming rather than board games or sports.

What does it mean word for word?

ゲーム is a loanword from English, written in Katakana and represents the singular concept of a 'game'.

Japanese does not typically use plural markers for loanwords like this, so ゲーム can mean either 'game' or 'games' depending on the context.

gēmu

The term ゲームオーバー (gēmu ōbā) is a ubiquitous phrase in Japan used to describe a situation that has reached a point of no return or total failure.
If you are talking about a sports match, such as a baseball game, you would use the word 試合 (shiai) instead of ゲーム.
The word 遊び asobi is used for 'play' or 'games' in a general sense, but using ゲーム specifically signals a structured activity with a win or loss condition.

ゲームは飽きたよ。
I'm tired of games.
This sentence shows how to express being tired of ゲーム.
Tatoeba #10172588 by small_snow, translation #10134397 by DJ_Saidez
ゲームをして楽しんだ。
We amused ourselves by playing games.
This sentence is useful for describing amusing oneself by playing ゲーム.
Tatoeba #225281 by bunbuku, translation #62617 by CK
今日はゲームしかしなかった。
All I did today was play games.
This sentence illustrates a situation where someone only played ゲーム all day.
Tatoeba #3114685 by tommy_san, translation #3115386 by CK
今日はゲームをしましょう。
Let's play games today.
42 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are talking about their hobbies at a cafe.

美咲 Misaki

大翔くんは、どんなゲームが好き？
Hiroto-kun wa, donna geemu ga suki?
Hiroto, what kind of games do you like?
大翔 Hiroto

アクション系のゲームが好きだよ。
Akushon-kei no geemu ga suki da yo.
I like action-type games.
美咲 Misaki

私もアクションゲームは好きだよ！
Watashi mo akushon geemu wa suki da yo!
I like action games too!
大翔 Hiroto

じゃあ、今度一緒にやろう。
Jaa, kondo issho ni yarou.
Then, let's play together sometime.

Sources

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