How to say "lie" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 嘘うそno-adjectiveThe everyday noun for a lie, from a small fib to a deliberate untruth; the default choice when you call a statement a lie or say someone is not telling the truth.
- 偽りいつわりno-adjectiveA falsehood or fabrication, with the nuance of something invented or deceptive rather than a casual fib; suits descriptions of deceit or pretense, as in a life built on lies.
- 偽るいつわるgodan verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbThe verb 'to lie': covers deceiving by pretending to be something one is not, feigning, or falsifying facts, so it goes beyond simply telling an untruth.
- 虚偽きょぎno-adjectiveA noun for falsehood, untruth, or misinformation, typical of official or written contexts — false statements and declarations — rather than casual conversation.
- 虚言きょげんnounA noun for a falsehood or lie, chiefly in written or set expressions; in ordinary conversation it is seldom the word you want, since 嘘 covers that ground.
Choose 嘘 for the ordinary noun 'lie' or fib; 「偽り」 for fabrication or deceit; 「偽る」 when 'lie' is a verb meaning to deceive, pretend, or falsify; 虚偽 and 虚言 for falsehood in official or written contexts.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 嘘うそlie
- 偽りいつわりlie
- 偽るいつわるto lie
- 虚偽きょぎfalsehood
- 虚言きょげんfalsehood
- ライlie
- 嘘偽りうそいつわりlie
- 詐偽さぎlie
- パチこくto lie
- 虚語きょごlie
- 偽り言いつわりごとlie
- たなびくto trail (of smoke, clouds, etc.)
- 空言そらごとfalsehood
- 作り事つくりごとfabrication
- 空音そらねimitated cry (of an animal)
- 虚妄きょもうfalsehood
- 妄語もうごfalsehood (as one of the five sins in Buddhism)
- 造言ぞうげんfalse report
- 眠るねむるto die
- 存するそんするto consist (in)
- 空を使うそらをつかうto tell a lie
- 当たるあたるto lie (in the direction of)
- 空そらfalsehood
- 走るはしるto run (through; of a road, street, etc.)
See also
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