嘘
uso[ɯ̟so̞]
The Japanese word for "lies" is 嘘 (uso).
嘘 is the most common and general term for "lies" in Japanese. It refers to false statements made with the intention to deceive someone.
Which one should you use?
While 嘘 is the standard term, 虚言 can be used to mean "falsehood" or "fabrication". Additionally, if you want to refer to a person who tells lies, you can use うそつき.
How do you pronounce it?
uso
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, 嘘! is frequently used as an exclamation of surprise, similar to 'No way!' or 'You're kidding!', rather than accusing someone of lying.
- The kanji used in 嘘 is a 'kokuji', meaning it was created specifically in Japan and does not exist as a character with the meaning of 'lie' in Chinese.
Examples in context
- 嘘をつくな。Don't tell lies.This sentence is useful for learning how to use 嘘 in a negative command.Tatoeba #5751906 by verbum, translation #65615 by CK
- トムは嘘をつく。Tom lies.This sentence shows how to use 嘘 with a subject to say someone tells lies.Tatoeba #7486119 by Ninja, translation #2203722 by CK
- あれは嘘八百だ。That is a pack of lies.This sentence demonstrates a common idiom involving 嘘 to describe a pack of lies.Tatoeba #8571365 by small_snow, translation #7802883 by AlanF_US
- 彼は嘘をついていました。He was telling lies.
- 彼女の言葉は嘘です。Her words are lies.
- 彼の虚言に引っかからないように。Be careful not to fall for his lies.
- 彼の説明は完全な虚言です。His explanation is a complete fabrication.
- あの情報はガセだと思うよ。I think that information is a lie.
- 彼の言葉全体がガセだったよ。His whole story was a lie.
- 彼女はうそつきだよ。She is a liar.
- うそつきは信じられないよ。Liars are not trustworthy.
- 嘘だ！That's a lie!
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki is questioning Yota about where he was yesterday.
- 美咲 Misaki昨日のこと、本当のこと言って。Kinō no koto, hontō no koto itte.Tell me the truth about yesterday.
- 陽太 Yotaずっと家にいたよ。Zutto ie ni ita yo.I was at home the whole time.
- 美咲 Misaki嘘つかないで。友達に見たよ。Uso tsukanaide. Tomodachi ni mita yo.Don't tell lies. A friend saw you.
- 陽太 Yotaごめん、本当は買い物に行っていた。Gomen, hontō wa kaimono ni itte ita.Sorry, I actually went shopping.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 嘘, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 嘘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
