How to say "karaoke" in Japanese

• カラオケCommon
  nounThe ordinary word for karaoke: singing along to recorded backing music at a party, bar, or similar gathering, or the equipment itself. Normally written in kana; the word you will almost always want.
  私はカラオケ好すきだが、たいした歌い手うたいてではない。↗

  I love karaoke, but I'm not much of a singer.
• 空桶からおけ
  nounA jocular, humorous way of saying karaoke—the characters literally read 'empty bucket', a pun on the usual word. Less common; keep it for jokes and playful banter, not for neutral speech or writing.

Use 「カラオケ」 for karaoke in virtually every context, from singing at a party to the equipment itself; 空桶 is a less common, jocular pun meaning literally 'empty bucket', kept for humorous effect.

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

• カラオケkaraoke
• 空桶からおけkaraoke