冗談
jōdan[d͡ʑo̞ːdã̠ɴ]
The Japanese word for joking is 冗談 (jōdan).
冗談 refers to something said or done to be funny rather than serious. You can use the phrase 冗談抜きで to mean "no joke" or "seriously" when you want to transition from a joking tone to a serious one.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To say "I am joking" politely to acquaintances or superiors, use 冗談です. For friends or family, you can use the informal version 冗談だよ. In informal situations, you might also hear the phrase 嘘だ (meaning "It's a lie") used to signify that you are joking or teasing.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of joking, the noun 冗談 is paired with the verb 言う (to say) to form 冗談を言う (to tell a joke / to joke). To tell someone to stop being silly or to stop kidding around, you can use the phrase 冗談はやめて.
How do you pronounce it?
jōdan
Did you know?
- When a joke is particularly bad or a pun is unsuccessful, Japanese people may use the term 寒い ('cold') to describe the atmosphere of the joke.
- While 冗談 refers to a joke, Japanese has a separate word 洒落 (share) specifically for wordplay or puns, which is considered a distinct art form from general joking.
- The word 冗談 literally translates to 'superfluous talk'. It suggests that a joke is an unnecessary or extra conversation that is not required for the main point.
Examples in context
- 冗談ですよ。I'm just joking.This sentence is useful for saying "I'm just joking."Tatoeba #398520 by bunbuku, translation #2248045 by CK
- 冗談でしょ？Are you joking?This sentence is useful for asking "Are you joking?"Tatoeba #3495530 by arnab, translation #1495909 by CK
- 冗談だよね？You are joking, right?Tatoeba #10614923 by small_snow, translation #10242740 by AlanF_US
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui今の、冗談で言ったの？Ima no, joudan de itta no?Was that a joke just now?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、冗談だよ。Un, joudan da yo.Yeah, I was joking.
- 結衣 Yuiびっくりしたよ！Bikkuri shita yo!You startled me!
- 大翔 Hirotoごめん、ごめん。Gomen, gomen.Sorry, sorry.
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
