Translation guide
The act of making fun of someone playfully, often to provoke or amuse. In Japanese, the expression depends on the intent—lighthearted joking, mild provocation, or mean-spirited mockery—and the relationship between the people involved.
To joke around with someone in a friendly, affectionate way, often to get a reaction or share a laugh.
The most common verb for playful teasing. It implies a light, often affectionate provocation, like pulling someone's leg or making fun of them in a friendly way.
He's always teasing me.
Stop teasing me.
Often used for playful teasing or messing with someone, especially in casual conversation. It can also mean 'to fiddle with' something physically, but in social contexts it means to tease or make fun of someone lightly.
I like being teased by my friends.
Literally 'to reach out a hand,' but idiomatically means to tease or meddle with someone, often in a slightly annoying but playful way. Can also imply making a pass at someone.
Don't tease your little brother.
To say something slightly provocative or challenging, not necessarily mean, but to see how someone responds.
Means to provoke or taunt. Stronger than からかう, often used when someone is trying to get a rise out of another person, but still can be playful depending on context.
He said something to tease/provoke me.
To egg someone on, to incite or tease someone into doing something. Often used when encouraging someone to act, sometimes in a teasing manner.
To make fun of someone in a hurtful way, often about their appearance, behavior, or weaknesses.
Means to bully or tease cruelly. This is not playful; it implies a power imbalance and intent to harm emotionally or physically.
He is being teased/bullied at school.
To make fun of someone, to ridicule, to treat someone as a fool. Stronger than からかう and often hurtful.
To sneer at, to mock with laughter. A literary or dramatic word for scornful teasing.
To tease someone you are attracted to, often playfully and with affection.
To tease oneself, often to be humble or to make others laugh.
Japanese often use self-deprecation (自虐, じぎゃく) as a form of humor. Instead of a direct verb for 'teasing oneself,' you describe the act of making fun of yourself.
I make self-deprecating jokes (tease myself).
からかう is playful and usually harmless; いじめる is bullying and hurtful. Use からかう for friendly teasing among equals, and いじめる for serious, repeated harassment.
Teasing friends is fun.
You must not bully the weak.
There is no single noun that perfectly matches 'teasing.' Use verb phrases or describe the action. For example, 'His teasing is annoying' becomes 彼のからかい方はうざい (かれのからかいかたはうざい) using the verb nominalized.
His teasing is annoying.
Stop teasing your sister!
They were just teasing you.
I can't tell if you're serious or just teasing.
I teased/egged my friend into confessing to him.
彼は私のことをばかにしている。
He's making fun of me.
The crowd mocked him.
He often teases/flirts with girls.