Translation guide
The English word "sucker" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: a gullible person, a lollipop, a suction device, and a plant shoot. Each meaning has its own natural Japanese expressions.
To refer to someone who is easily tricked, naive, or falls for scams.
Slang for a 'mark' or 'easy target', often used in the context of gambling or scams. Very common and natural.
He's an easy mark.
A soft-hearted or overly trusting person who is easily taken advantage of. Less harsh than 'カモ'.
彼はお人好しだから、騙されやすい。
He's a sucker because he's too trusting.
A straightforward phrase meaning 'a person who is easily deceived'. Clear and neutral.
彼は騙されやすい人だ。
He's a sucker.
Slang meaning 'an easy opponent' or 'someone who is a pushover'. More about being easy to beat or manipulate.
あんなチョロい相手に負けるな。
Don't lose to such a sucker.
To refer to a piece of hard candy on a stick, often called a lollipop.
The most common generic term for a lollipop in Japanese. Often shortened to 'ペロキャン' casually.
子供がペロペロキャンディを舐めている。
The child is sucking on a sucker.
Literally 'candy with a stick'. A descriptive term, less common in everyday speech.
棒付きキャンディを買った。
I bought a sucker.
To refer to a cup-shaped object that adheres to surfaces by vacuum, or a part of an animal/plant that functions similarly.
The standard word for a suction cup, whether artificial or biological (e.g., on an octopus tentacle).
吸盤でスマホを壁に取り付けた。
I attached my phone to the wall with a sucker.
タコの足には吸盤がある。
An octopus's tentacles have suckers.
To refer to a new shoot that grows from the base of a plant or from a root, often considered undesirable.
The botanical term for a sucker or basal shoot. Used in gardening contexts.
バラの吸枝を剪定した。
I pruned the rose suckers.
A common gardening term for a sprout or sucker growing from the base of a tree or plant. More everyday than '吸枝'.
ひこばえを取らないと、木が弱る。
If you don't remove the suckers, the tree will weaken.
Avoid literal translations like '吸う人' (a person who sucks). It doesn't make sense in Japanese. Use the slang or descriptive terms provided.
彼は吸う人だ。
He is a sucker. (incorrect)