Translation guide
Expressing that something is not taken seriously, is belittled, or is treated as unimportant. Japanese uses various verbs and set phrases depending on whether the nuance is joking, dismissing, underestimating, or ridiculing.
To indicate that someone is not taking a matter seriously, downplaying its importance, or treating it as a joke.
Literally 'to see lightly'. A common, neutral way to say someone is not taking something seriously or is underestimating it.
彼はその問題を軽く見ている。
He is making light of the problem.
To make light of, to belittle, to despise. Slightly more formal and stronger than 軽く見る.
彼は人の意見を軽んじる傾向がある。
He tends to make light of other people's opinions.
To treat lightly, to handle casually. Often used when someone doesn't give proper attention to a matter.
その件を軽く扱わないでください。
Please don't make light of that matter.
To neglect, to make light of (duties, responsibilities). Implies not giving something the care it deserves.
勉強をおろそかにしてはいけない。
You must not make light of your studies.
To express that someone is treating a serious matter as a joke, or making fun of something in a playful manner.
To turn something into a joke, to make light of by joking about it.
彼はいつも真面目な話を冗談にする。
He always makes light of serious conversations by turning them into jokes.
To tease, to make fun of, to make light of in a teasing manner. Often used among friends.
彼女は彼の失敗をからかった。
She made light of his mistake by teasing him.
To make fun of, to joke about, to make light of by turning into a joke. Casual and often used when someone deflects seriousness with humor.
To express that someone is not recognizing the true difficulty, danger, or capability, often leading to negative consequences.
Literally 'to see sweetly'. To underestimate, to not take seriously enough, often with a nuance of 'you'll regret it'.
相手を甘く見ると痛い目にあう。
If you make light of your opponent, you'll get hurt.
Slangy, strong word for underestimating or looking down on someone. Often used in rough or casual speech.
To despise, to make light of, to underestimate. Formal and often used in warnings or literary contexts.
To express that someone is trivializing another person's emotions, work, or contributions.
To underrate, to belittle, to make light of someone's abilities or worth. Often used when someone is not given due credit.
彼は私の努力を見くびっている。
He is making light of my efforts.
To make a fool of, to ridicule, to make light of in a contemptuous way. Stronger and more insulting.
To make light of, to slight, to disregard. Formal, often used in serious contexts like ignoring warnings or risks.
その危険性を軽視してはいけない。
You must not make light of the danger.
軽く見る is about not taking something seriously in general, while 甘く見る specifically implies underestimating something to one's own detriment. 甘く見る often carries a warning tone.
彼は試験を軽く見ていたが、合格した。
He made light of the exam, but he passed.
試験を甘く見ていたら、不合格になった。
He made light of the exam and ended up failing.
English 'making light of' covers a wide range from playful teasing to serious contempt. In Japanese, the appropriate word depends heavily on context and relationship. Using ばかにする when you mean からかう can sound overly harsh. When in doubt, 軽く見る is a safe, neutral choice.
He made light of my worries by joking about them.
That guy is making light of me.
彼の実力を侮ってはいけない。
You must not make light of his ability.
He made light of my suggestion.