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おとぼけ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

おとぼけ

お

と

ぼ

け

Meanings

1

noun

feigned ignorance; playing dumb

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the act of pretending not to know something, often in a playful or sly manner. Related to とぼける (to play dumb).

See also: とぼけ

彼かれはいつもおとぼけで、本ほん当とうは何なんでも知しっている。
He always plays dumb, but actually he knows everything.
その質しつ問もんにはおとぼけで通とおした。
He feigned ignorance at that question.

Written forms

Applies to each form listed below

rarely-used kanji form

お惚とぼけ
Rare kanji form using 惚 (infatuation, absent-mindedness).
お恍とぼけ
Rare kanji form using 恍 (unclear, dreamy).

Kanji

惚fall in love with, admire, grow senile
恍unclear, senile, stupid

Similar words

とぼける
The verb form meaning 'to play dumb' or 'to feign ignorance'. おとぼけ is the noun form with the honorific prefix お.
しらばくれる
Also means 'to feign ignorance', but often has a stronger nuance of blatantly or shamelessly pretending not to know.

Etymology

Derived from the verb とぼける (to play dumb) with the honorific prefix お. The kanji 惚 and 恍 are associated with absent-mindedness or vagueness, but the word is now almost exclusively written in kana.