Translation guide
A party guessing game where one player acts out a word or phrase without speaking, and others try to guess it.
Referring to the game itself, where players act out words or phrases.
The most common and natural way to refer to the game of charades in Japanese. It is a loanword from English 'gesture game'.
パーティーでジェスチャーゲームをした。
We played charades at the party.
A more descriptive Japanese term meaning 'gesture guessing game'. Less common but easily understood.
Describing the action of miming or gesturing to convey a word, as done in charades.
Means 'to convey through gestures'. This is the most natural way to describe the action of acting something out without words.
言葉を使わずに、身振りで伝えてください。
Please act it out using gestures, without speaking.
Using 'charade' in the figurative sense of an absurd pretense or deceptive act.
Means 'farce' or 'mockery'. Used for a ridiculous pretense or a situation that is a sham. Fits the figurative meaning of 'charade' well.
The direct loanword シャレード is rarely used and may cause confusion. Use ジェスチャーゲーム instead.
ジェスチャーゲームをしよう！
Let's play charades!
Let's play charades.
Direct loanword from English 'charade'. Rarely used and may not be understood by all Japanese speakers. Stick to ジェスチャーゲーム.
シャレードというゲームを知っていますか？
Do you know the game called charades?
Literally 'to express with gestures'. Commonly used in the context of games like charades.
お題をジェスチャーで表してください。
Please act out the word using gestures.
A more emphatic phrase meaning 'to indicate with gestures and hand movements'. Slightly more descriptive.
彼は身振り手振りで答えを示した。
He acted out the answer with gestures.
その会議はまったくの茶番だった。
That meeting was a complete charade.
Means 'pretense' or 'façade'. Can be used to describe something that is not what it seems, like a charade.
彼の親切は見せかけに過ぎない。
His kindness is just a charade.
Means 'disguise' or 'camouflage'. More formal and often used for deceptive appearances, but can work for 'charade' in some contexts.
それは単なる偽装に過ぎなかった。
It was merely a charade.