Translation guide
The act of making fun of someone or something in a cruel or humorous way. Japanese has many expressions for mockery, ranging from light teasing to harsh ridicule, and the best choice depends on the intent and relationship.
To express contempt or amusement at someone's expense, often in a mean-spirited way.
Formal noun meaning 'ridicule' or 'scorn'. Often used in written or serious contexts.
彼の提案は嘲笑の的になった。
His proposal became an object of mockery.
Noun meaning 'derisive laughter' or 'sneer'. Implies open, scornful mockery.
彼はあざ笑いを浮かべた。
He had a sneer on his face.
Common phrase meaning 'to make fun of' or 'to look down on'. Used in everyday speech.
彼はいつも私をバカにする。
He always makes fun of me.
Verb meaning 'to tease' or 'to make fun of' in a playful or light-hearted way. Can also be mean-spirited depending on context.
友達をからかうのは楽しい。
It's fun to tease my friends.
To make someone a laughingstock; to publicly humiliate through mockery.
彼はクラスで笑いものにされた。
He was made a laughingstock in class.
To mock something by imitating it in an exaggerated or humorous way, often as social commentary.
Satire; a genre or act of using humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize. Common in media and literature.
この漫画は政治風刺だ。
This manga is political satire.
Parody; a humorous imitation of a specific work or style. Loanword from English.
To mock by imitating and laughing. A descriptive phrase for mimicry-based mockery.
彼は先生の話し方を真似して笑った。
He mocked the teacher by imitating the way she talked.
A person or thing that is widely ridiculed.
The English word 'mockery' is often used in phrases like 'a mockery of justice'. Direct translation into Japanese usually sounds unnatural. Instead, use expressions like ～を愚弄するもの (an insult to ~) or ～の茶番 (a farce of ~).
その裁判は正義の茶番だった。
The trial was a mockery of justice.
からかう often implies light teasing among friends, while バカにする is more contemptuous and hurtful. Use からかう for playful mockery and バカにする for looking down on someone.
彼は冗談で私をからかった。
He teased me as a joke.
彼は本気で私をバカにした。
He seriously made fun of me.
彼は本気で私をバカにした。
He seriously made fun of me.
その映画はホラー映画のパロディーだ。
That movie is a parody of horror films.
そんなことをしたら物笑いの種になる。
If you do that, you'll become a laughingstock.