How to say "bait" in Japanese

• 釣り餌つりえ
  nounBait in the concrete fishing sense — what you put on the hook. It is less common than 餌, which also serves for fishing bait, so 釣り餌 is the narrower, more explicit choice.
• 好餌こうじ
  nounLiterally 'good bait'; used figuratively for something that serves as an attractive lure or tempting target. It is less common and not the word for literal fishing bait.
• 餌えさJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe common, default word: literal bait for animals or fishing, and by extension any enticement or lure held out to tempt someone. When unsure which word fits 'bait', this is usually the safe choice.
• おとり
  nounMainly 'decoy': a person or thing set out to lure — a police decoy, a stool pigeon. Its 'bait' sense carries that luring nuance, not literal fishing bait; usually written in kana.

Choose 餌 as the default for literal bait and figurative enticement, 「釣り餌」 when the bait is specifically for fishing, 好餌 for figurative 'attractive bait', and 「おとり」 when you mean a decoy used to lure someone.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 釣り餌つりえbait (for fishing)
• 好餌こうじbait
• 餌えさbait
• おとりdecoy
• つりtrolling