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'.
We played charades at the party.
A more descriptive Japanese term meaning 'gesture guessing game'. Less common but easily understood.
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.
Do you know the game called charades?
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.
Please act it out using gestures, without speaking.
Literally 'to express with gestures'. Commonly used in the context of games like charades.
Please act out the word using gestures.
A more emphatic phrase meaning 'to indicate with gestures and hand movements'. Slightly more descriptive.
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.
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.
Means 'disguise' or 'camouflage'. More formal and often used for deceptive appearances, but can work for 'charade' in some contexts.
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.
Let's play charades!
He acted out the answer with gestures.
彼の親切は見せかけに過ぎない。
His kindness is just a charade.
それは単なる偽装に過ぎなかった。
It was merely a charade.