一ひと口くち話ばなし

ひ

と

く

ち

ば

な

し

Meanings

1

noun

short story; anecdote; joke

A brief, often humorous or entertaining story; can be a joke, a witty anecdote, or a short tale.

彼かれは会かい議ぎの前まえに一ひと口くち話ばなしをして場ばを和なごませた。
He told a short anecdote before the meeting to lighten the mood.

この本ほんには面おも白しろい一ひと口くち話ばなしがたくさん載のっている。

This book contains many interesting short stories.

Written forms

一ひと口くち話ばなし
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
ひとくち話ばなし
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; also encountered.
一ひと口くち噺ばなし
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 噺 is a less common character for 'story'.
一ひと口くち咄ばなし
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 咄 is an uncommon variant.

Kanji

話tale, talk
一one, one radical (no.1)
口mouth
噺talk, (kokuji)
咄exclamation of surprise, cry out (in anger), scold

Similar words

小こ話ばなし
小話 also means a short story or anecdote, but 一口話 emphasizes brevity and often a punchline, while 小話 can be slightly longer or more narrative.
逸いつ話わ
逸話 is an anecdote, often about a famous person or historical event, and tends to be more factual or biographical, whereas 一口話 is lighter and more for entertainment.

Etymology

Compound of 一口 (ひとくち, 'one mouthful; a bite') and 話 (はなし, 'story'), literally 'a bite-sized story'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period to refer to short, witty tales.