冗談
jōdan[d͡ʑo̞ːdã̠ɴ]
In Japanese, 'jk' is expressed as 冗談 (jōdan), which means 'just kidding'.
The word 冗談 functions as a noun meaning 'joke'. It can be used on its own to mean 'just kidding' in very casual settings.
Which one should you use?
While 冗談 refers to a joke or kidding, neta is a slang term often used to refer to a joke or a comedic bit/material.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 'da yo' to 冗談 is a common way to say 'I'm just kidding' in casual conversation. You can also use 冗談だから to mean 'because it's a joke' and 冗談を言っていました to mean 'I was joking'. Finally, ちょっと冗談だけど can be used to say 'I'm kidding a little'.
How do you pronounce it?
jōdan
Did you know?
- In casual text slang, Japanese youth may use the English letters 'jk' directly, but it is often confused with 'JK', the common abbreviation for 女子高生 meaning 'high school girl'.
- When someone says something so ridiculous that it cannot be true, a Japanese speaker might exclaim 冗談じゃない! (jōdan janai!), which translates to 'It is no joke!' to express disbelief or anger.
- The word 冗談 literally translates to 'superfluous talk' or 'unnecessary conversation' because of its two components, 冗 meaning 'superfluous' and 談 meaning 'talk'.
Example conversation
Two friends are chatting casually at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiもう、陽太くん、冗談はやめてよ！Mō, Yōta-kun, jōdan wa yamete yo!Geez, Yota, stop joking around!
- 陽太 Yotaごめん、今の冗談だよ。Gomen, ima no jōdan da yo.Sorry, I was just kidding.
- 結衣 Yui本当にびっくりしたよ。Hontō ni bikkuri shita yo.You really startled me.
- 陽太 Yotaごめんね、次は気を付けるよ。Gomen ne, tsugi wa ki o tsukeru yo.Sorry, I'll be careful next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 冗談, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 冗談, CC BY-SA 4.0.
