Translation guide
A humorous or satirical imitation of a work, style, or genre. In Japanese, the loanword パロディ is common, but native terms like もじり and 替え歌 are used for specific types of parody.
To refer to a work that imitates another in a humorous or satirical way.
The most common and direct equivalent, used for parodies in literature, film, art, etc. A loanword from English.
この映画はホラー映画のパロディです。
This movie is a parody of horror films.
A twist or play on words, often a pun or a parody of a famous phrase or title. More specific than パロディ.
そのタイトルは有名なことわざのもじりだ。
That title is a parody of a famous proverb.
Alternative spelling of パロディ, less common.
彼の作品は古典文学のパロディーだ。
His work is a parody of classical literature.
To describe a song that uses the melody of an existing song but with different, often humorous, lyrics.
A song with new lyrics set to a familiar melody. Very common in Japanese comedy and variety shows.
彼は流行歌の替え歌を歌って笑わせた。
He sang a parody of a pop song and made everyone laugh.
A loanword for 'parody song', used similarly to 替え歌 but less traditional.
その番組ではパロディソングがよく流れる。
Parody songs are often played on that show.
To describe an imitation that exaggerates features for comic or critical effect, often of a person or genre.
Satire; a broader term for works that criticize through humor, irony, or exaggeration. Can overlap with parody.
その漫画は政治家の風刺だ。
That manga is a parody of politicians.
Caricature; specifically a visual parody that exaggerates physical features. Loanword from English.
Pastiche; an artistic work that imitates the style of another, often as homage. Less common and more literary.
To express the action of creating a parody.
To make a parody of something. A common verb phrase using the loanword.
彼らはその映画をパロディ化した。
They parodied that movie.
To twist or parody a phrase, often by changing a few characters or words. Verb form of もじり.
そのキャッチコピーは有名な台詞をもじっている。
That catchphrase parodies a famous line.
To turn a song into a parody by changing the lyrics.
あの曲を替え歌にして会社の宣伝に使った。
They parodied that song and used it for the company's promotion.
パロディ is the general term for any parody. もじり is specifically a play on words or a twist on a famous phrase. 替え歌 is exclusively for songs with altered lyrics. Use パロディ for most situations, but choose the others for precision.
この小説は『吾輩は猫である』のパロディだ。
This novel is a parody of 'I Am a Cat'.
「猿も木から落ちる」は「弘法も筆の誤り」のもじりだ。
'Even monkeys fall from trees' is a parody of 'Even Kobo makes mistakes in writing.'
彼は国歌の替え歌を歌って問題になった。
He caused a problem by singing a parody of the national anthem.
English 'to parody' does not have a single direct verb in Japanese. Use phrases like パロディ化する or もじる. Simply using パロディする is not standard.
その作品は古典をパロディ化している。
The work parodies a classic.
彼は有名人のカリカチュアを描くのが得意だ。
He is good at drawing caricatures of celebrities.
その小説は19世紀の文体のパスティーシュだ。
The novel is a pastiche of 19th-century style.