ジョーカー
jōkā[d͡ʑo̞ːka̠ː]
The English word "joker" can be said in Japanese as ジョーカー (jōkā).
ジョーカー refers to a person who makes jokes.
Meaning: person who makes jokes (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
jōkā
Did you know?
- If you call someone a ジョーカー in a serious conversation, they might think you are referring to a villain from a comic book or a person with a chaotic, unpredictable nature.
- The Japanese language has a specific term, お調子者 ('ochōshimono'), for a person who gets carried away with their own jokes, which is a more nuanced description than ジョーカー.
- In Japanese gaming culture, a 'joker' element in a story or game often refers to a hidden trump card or a secret weapon used to turn the tide of a battle.
Examples in context
- ジョーカーはオールマイティーでいいよね?The Joker is the wild card, OK?This sentence shows how to use ジョーカー to refer to a wild card.Tatoeba #1130386 by mookeee, translation #1156861 by mookeee
Example conversation
Youta and Himari are talking about a new friend.
- 陽太 Yota新しい友達は面白い人だね。Atarashii tomodachi wa omoshiroi hito da ne.Our new friend is a funny person, isn't he?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、本当のジョーカーだよ。Un, hontō no jōkā dayo.Yeah, he's a real joker.
- 陽太 Yotaいつもみんなを笑わせてるよね。Itsumo minna o warawaseteru yo ne.He's always making everyone laugh.
- 陽葵 Himariだからみんな彼が好きなんだよ。Dakara minna kare ga suki nan dayo.That's why everyone likes him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ジョーカー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.