偽物
nisemono
In Japanese, the word for sham is 偽物 (nisemono).
偽物 is used to describe both physical objects that are imitations and people who are imposters.
Meaning: fake, imitation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
偽物 is a noun and can be used as a predicate or a subject in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
nisemono
Did you know?
- Calling someone a 偽物 is a severe social insult in Japan, as it attacks their authenticity and sincerity, which are highly valued cultural traits.
- While 偽物 refers to a sham, the word 模造品 (mozōhin) is used specifically for 'imitation goods' or 'replicas' that are not necessarily meant to deceive.
- While 偽物 describes a fake object, if you want to call a person a 'fake' in a derogatory way regarding their character, Japanese speakers often use 偽善者 (gizensha), meaning 'hypocrite'.
Examples in context
- 彼のビジネスは詐欺だ。His business is a sham.
- その企業は架空の取引をしていた。That company was engaged in sham transactions.
- 彼の約束はペテンだった。His promise was a sham.
- そのゲームはイカサマだと聞いた。I heard that game is a sham.
- これは偽物です。Kore wa nisemono desu.This is a fake.
- 偽物のダイヤモンドを見つけた。Nisemono no daiyamondo o mitsuketa.I found a fake diamond.
- それは偽物に見えます。Sore wa nisemono ni miemasu.That looks like an imitation.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are looking at a piece of jewelry in a shop.
- 健太 Kentaこのネックレス、本物かな？Kono nekkuresu, honmono kana?Is this necklace real?
- 美咲 Misakiうーん、偽物っぽいよ。Uun, nisemono ppoi yo.Hmm, it looks like a fake.
- 健太 Kenta本当？残念だな。Hontou? Zannen dana.Really? That's a shame.
- 美咲 Misaki偽物でも可愛いと思うよ。Nisemono demo kawaii to omou yo.I think it's cute even if it's an imitation.
