Translation guide
The English word "dupe" can mean a person who is deceived, or the act of deceiving someone. This guide covers how to express these ideas naturally in Japanese.
Referring to someone who is tricked or taken advantage of
Slang for a person who is an easy target for scams or exploitation, like a 'mark' or 'patsy'. Very common in casual speech.
He was a perfect dupe for the con artist.
A straightforward, neutral phrase meaning 'a person who is easily deceived'. Suitable for most contexts.
She's a dupe, so be careful.
Refers to a soft-hearted, overly trusting person who can be taken advantage of. Implies naivety rather than just being a victim.
A softie like that will be duped in no time.
The act of making someone believe something false, often for personal gain
The most common verb for 'to deceive' or 'to trick'. Can be used in various contexts.
He duped me out of my money.
Literally 'to hook', used colloquially to mean tricking someone into a scheme or scam.
An idiomatic phrase meaning 'to pull a fast one' or 'to dupe someone'. Often implies a clever or sneaky trick.
I was duped by him.
The English noun 'dupe' does not have a single direct equivalent in Japanese. Using カモ is natural for a person who is a target, but it is slang. For the verb, 騙す is the safest choice.
He duped many people with a new scam.