じゃんけん
janken
じゃんけん (janken) is the Japanese phrase for scissors paper rock.
じゃんけん refers to the hand game used to make decisions or settle disputes. The phrase is often used to initiate the game, frequently being shouted aloud before players reveal their hand shapes.
Which one should you use?
While じゃんけん refers to the game itself, the variation じゃんけんぽん is commonly used specifically during the moment the players actually reveal their hands.
How do you pronounce it?
janken
When do people say it?
In Japan, this game is often used as a fair method to decide trivial matters, such as who goes first or who will pay for a meal.
Did you know?
- Japan has a highly competitive professional scene for じゃんけん with organized tournaments and ranked players who study psychological patterns.
- When players tie, they do not simply repeat the round but shout あいこ 'draw' before immediately playing again without the full introductory phrase.
- The cadence of じゃん・けん・ぽん is so distinct that it is sometimes used as a rhythmic mnemonic for timing group activities unrelated to the game.
Examples in context
- ねえ、じゃんけんしよう！Hey, let's play scissors paper rock!
- みんなでじゃんけんで決めよう。Let's decide using scissors paper rock.
- じゃんけんで勝負しましょう！Let's settle it with scissors paper rock!
- じゃんけんで決めよう。Janken de kimeyou.Let's decide with rock-paper-scissors.
- じゃんけんで負けてしまった。Janken de makete shimatta.I lost at rock-paper-scissors.
- 次はじゃんけんで勝負だ。Tsugi wa janken de shoubu da.Next, it's a match with rock-paper-scissors.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are deciding who goes to the store.
- 健太 Kentaどっちが行くか、じゃんけんで決めない？Dotchi ga iku ka, janken de kimenai?Shall we decide who goes with rock-paper-scissors?
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ。じゃんけんぽん！Ii yo. Jankenpon!Okay. Rock-paper-scissors!
- 健太 Kentaあ、僕の勝ちだね。A, boku no kachi dane.Ah, I won.
- 美咲 Misaki残念、じゃあ健太が行って。Zannen, jaa Kenta ga itte.That's too bad, then Kenta, you go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry じゃんけん, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
