Translation guide
A playful trick or mischievous act, often meant to surprise or amuse. In Japanese, the most common word is いたずら, but other expressions exist for specific types of pranks.
prank (general mischief)
prank (TV-style surprise)
To describe a light-hearted, often harmless trick or mischievous act.
The most common and versatile word for a prank or mischief. Can be used as a noun or a する-verb (いたずらする). Often implies childish or playful behavior.
The children played a prank and surprised the teacher.
Kanji form of いたずら. Less common in everyday writing but seen in literature or formal contexts. Same meaning and usage.
To describe a more elaborate prank, often involving deception or setup, like a hidden camera prank or a fake announcement.
To describe a prank done over the phone, like making a fake call or saying something silly.
To express the action of pulling a prank on a specific person.
The most common pattern: 'play a prank on ~'. Replace 〜 with the target person.
いたずら is a general term for any playful mischief, often small-scale and spontaneous. ドッキリ implies a planned, surprising prank, often with an element of performance or recording, like a hidden camera stunt. Use いたずら for everyday mischief and ドッキリ for TV-style pranks.
He played a prank during class.
彼はよく妹にいたずらをする。
He often plays pranks on his younger sister.
悪戯好きな子猫が部屋中を走り回っている。
A mischievous kitten is running around the room.
Literally 'mischievous heart', meaning a playful or prankish impulse. Used when someone feels like doing a prank.
I felt mischievous and hid my friend's shoes.
Refers to a surprise prank, often staged and recorded, like those on TV shows. Can be used as a noun or with する. Very common in media and everyday conversation.
Yesterday's prank show was really funny.
When I pulled a prank on my friend, they were really surprised.
Means 'mischief' or 'prank' with a nuance of going too far or being mean-spirited. Often used when a prank causes trouble or is not just innocent fun.
His prank ruined the party.
Generally means 'joke', but can be used for a prank when it's verbal or a playful lie. Not for physical pranks.
As a prank, I said 'I won the lottery,' and everyone believed it.
Literally 'prank call'. The standard term for a phone prank, whether it's a silly call or a more malicious one.
I was troubled by a prank call in the middle of the night.
A phone prank that is part of a ドッキリ setup, often recorded for entertainment. Implies a more elaborate surprise.
The segment where they make prank calls to celebrities is popular.
I played a prank on my little brother and made him cry.
Means 'to set up a prank on ~'. Used for more planned, surprise pranks. 仕掛ける means 'to set up' or 'to pull'.
I hid in the room to pull a prank on my friend.
I was pranked on my birthday (with a surprise setup).
There is no direct one-to-one translation for 'prank' that covers all contexts. Using プランク is not natural. Choose the appropriate Japanese word based on the type of prank.