Translation guide
The English word 'humour' (or 'humor') refers to the quality of being amusing, the ability to appreciate or express what is funny, and a particular mood or state of mind. This guide helps learners express these ideas naturally in Japanese.
Describing someone's capacity to find things funny, tell jokes, or have a playful attitude.
A loanword from English, widely used to mean 'humour' in the sense of a sense of humour or comedic style. Often used in phrases like ユーモアがある (to have a sense of humour).
He has a good sense of humour.
There's always humour in her stories.
A native Japanese word for 'humour' or 'funniness', often used in literary or descriptive contexts. It emphasizes the amusing quality of something.
That movie has a unique humour.
A formal or literary term for 'humour' or 'wit', often used in written Japanese. Not common in everyday speech.
His works are full of humour.
Referring to a person's temporary emotional state or disposition, as in 'in a good humour'.
Means 'mood' or 'temper'. Commonly used in phrases like 機嫌がいい (in a good mood) or 機嫌が悪い (in a bad mood).
The boss is in a good humour today.
He's been in a bad humour since morning.
Means 'feeling' or 'mood'. Slightly more general than 機嫌, and can refer to physical as well as emotional state.
Referring to humour as a genre, or the quality of being funny in entertainment.
Literally 'laughter', but used to mean 'humour' or 'comedy' in contexts like entertainment. For example, 笑いを取る means 'to get a laugh' or 'to be humorous'.
He's good at getting laughs (being humorous).
This show lacks humour.
Also used for humorous content or style, as in ブラックユーモア (black humour).
Refers specifically to comedy as entertainment, like stand-up or TV comedy shows. Often used in the context of Japanese comedy duos (お笑い芸人).
The verb phrase 'to humour someone' means to go along with their wishes or mood to keep them happy.
Literally 'to take someone's mood', meaning to humour or placate them, often by agreeing or doing what they want.
I took her to a movie to humour her.
Means 'to go along with' or 'to adapt to'. Used when you humour someone by playing along with their ideas or mood.
Means 'to keep someone company' or 'to deal with someone'. Can imply humouring someone by giving them attention.
I humoured the child by playing along for a while.
While ユーモアのセンス is common, directly translating 'sense of humour' as ユーモアの感覚 is not natural. Stick to ユーモアのセンス or ユーモアがある.
He has a sense of humour.
機嫌 is more about mood in terms of temper or disposition (good/bad mood), while 気分 is broader and can refer to physical feelings or a general state of mind. For 'in a good humour', 機嫌がいい is the most direct equivalent.
She has a great sense of humour.
He's in no humour for jokes.
I'm not in the humour for that today.
彼の小説はブラックユーモアに満ちている。
His novel is full of black humour.
彼はお笑い芸人になりたい。
He wants to become a comedian.
彼の話に合わせて笑っておいた。
I humoured him by laughing at his story.