嘘つき
usotsuki[ɯ̟so̞t͡sɨkʲi]
The Japanese phrase usotsuki means liar.
The word usotsuki translates to liar in English. While it can be used as a direct insult, it is frequently used in a playful or teasing manner between friends or in anime/manga contexts to call someone a 'little liar'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, 嘘つき does not change its form for singular or plural contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
usotsuki
Did you know?
- Calling someone an usotsuki can be softened by adding chan to the end. This transforms the insult into a cute or teasing nickname often used for children or romantic partners.
- The word uso is often used as an exclamation like 'No way!' or 'You're kidding!' when someone is surprised. In this context, it is not calling the other person a liar but expressing disbelief.
- The kanji for 'lie' in usotsuki, 嘘, contains the radical for 'speech' on the left side. This visually indicates that the word is fundamentally related to spoken language.
Examples in context
- 彼は本当に「うそつき」だ。He is really a liar.
- あの人は嘘つきです。Ano hito wa usotsuki desu.That person is a liar.
- 君は本当に嘘つきだね。Kimi wa hontou ni usotsuki dane.You really are a liar, aren't you?
Example conversation
A young man playfully accuses a woman of teasing him.
- 大翔 Hirotoまたそんな嘘をつくなんて、嘘つきだ！Mata sonna uso o tsuku nante, usotsuki da!You're a liar for telling that lie again!
- 美咲 Misaki全然嘘じゃないですよ。Zenzen uso janai desu yo.It's not a lie at all.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんは嘘つきですね。Misaki-san wa usotsuki desu ne.Misaki, you are a liar.
- 美咲 Misakiもう、大翔さんは意地悪です。Mou, Hiroto-san wa ijiwaru desu.Geez, Hiroto, you're so mean.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 嘘つき, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
