嘘
Meaning in Englishlie, falsehood
Animated kanji stroke order
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
What does 嘘 (uso) mean? It denotes an untrue statement or claim made intentionally or presented as fact; in everyday Japanese it names the concept of lying and is used both as a noun for falsehood and as an exclamation to express disbelief or surprise.
Main meanings
- 1. An exclamation expressing surprise or disbelief (equivalent to “No way!” or “You’re kidding!”).
- 2. Playful teasing or “just kidding” when used lightly among friends.
- 3. Basis for related words that label people who lie or acts of lying (appears in compounds and verbs).
How to use it
Used widely in spoken and written Japanese; common in casual conversation to call something a lie or to react with disbelief, and as the root for verbs/compounds that describe lying; in formal or legal contexts speakers prefer terms like 虚偽 (kyogi) to avoid casual tone.
Variants and close terms
- 虚偽 (kyogi) — falsehood, often formal/legal.
- 偽り (itsuwari) — falsehood, deception (more literary).
- 本当 (hontou) — truth (antonym).
- 真実 (shinjitsu) — truth, reality (antonym).
Composition
The kanji combines a speech-related element and a component tied to emptiness/falsehood: the character visually pairs the speech radical element with 虚 (meaning emptiness, false), suggesting the idea of speech that is empty or untrue.
Word class
noun, interjection (名詞、間投詞)