馬鹿
baka[ba̠ka̠]
The English word jackass can be translated into Japanese as 馬鹿 (baka).
馬鹿 means a foolish or stupid person. It is frequently used as an interjection to mean "idiot!" or "stupid!"
Meaning: foolish or stupid person (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
馬鹿 is highly informal and can be perceived as an insult depending on the tone and relationship between speakers. The term アホ is also a common way to call someone an idiot, typically used among friends or in casual contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 馬鹿 as an adjective to describe a noun, you must add the particle na to form 馬鹿な.
How do you pronounce it?
baka
Did you know?
- The characters for 馬鹿 literally mean 'horse' and 'deer'.
- In certain contexts, 馬鹿 can be used as a prefix to mean 'extremely' or 'absurdly', such as describing something as 'ridiculously' expensive.
- In many Japanese media contexts, calling someone 馬鹿 can actually be used as a term of endearment between very close friends or lovers.
Examples in context
- 彼は愚か者です。He is a fool.
- 彼は本当にばかですね。He is really stupid, isn't he?
- あいつは本当に馬鹿野郎だな。That guy is a real stupid jerk.
- あいつは本当に馬鹿だ。Aitsu wa hontō ni baka da.That guy is a real jackass.
- 馬鹿なことはしないで。Baka na koto wa shinaide.Don't do anything foolish.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a classmate's mistake.
- 大翔 Hirotoあいつ、また馬鹿なことしたの？Aitsu, mata baka na koto shita no?Did that jackass do something stupid again?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、本当に馬鹿だよね。Un, hontō ni baka da yo ne.Yeah, he's a real jackass, isn't he?
- 大翔 Hiroto呆れて言葉も出ないよ。Akirete kotoba mo denai yo.I'm so stunned I'm speechless.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔もそう思うでしょ？Hiroto mo sō omou desho?You think so too, Hiroto?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 馬鹿, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 馬鹿, CC BY-SA 4.0.
