コント

コ

ン

ト

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

Refers to the French literary genre of short, often fantastical or moral tales. This sense is less common in everyday Japanese and may be encountered in literary or academic contexts.

from French

フランス文ぶん学がくの授じゅ業ぎょうで、モーパッサンのコントを読よんだ。
In French literature class, we read a conte by Maupassant.

noun

comedy sketch; skit

The most common modern meaning in Japanese: a short, humorous performance piece, often seen on TV variety shows or in live comedy. Derived from the French word but semantically shifted.

あの芸げい人にんはコントが面おも白しろい。
That comedian's skits are funny.
テレビで人にん気きのコント番ばん組ぐみを見みた。
I watched a popular comedy sketch show on TV.

See all 28 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

コントを演えんじるto perform/act out a comedy sketch
二人ふたりは舞ぶ台たいで面おも白しろいコントを演えんじた。
The two of them performed a funny sketch on stage.
コントを披ひ露ろうするto showcase/present a comedy sketch
新しん人じんコンビが自じ作さくのコントを披ひ露ろうした。
The rookie duo showcased a sketch they wrote themselves.
〈人ひと〉とコントをするto do a comedy sketch with someone
先せん輩ぱい芸げい人にんとコントをすることになった。
It was decided that I would do a sketch with a senior comedian.

Related words

スキット sense 2
コント is specifically a Japanese comedic sketch performed for laughs, while スキット is the broader term for any short dramatic scene, often used in educational or theatrical settings.
短たん編ぺんN2sense 1
短編 refers broadly to any short piece of fiction, while コント in its literary sense specifically denotes the French-style conte, a short and often fantastical tale.
寸すん劇げき sense 2
寸劇 is a general short play or skit that need not be comedic, whereas コント specifically implies humor and is associated with TV and stage comedy.
漫まん才ざいN1
漫才 is fast-paced two-person dialogue comedy, while コント is a short skit-style comedy often involving props and a set scene.

Don't confuse with

漫まん才ざいN1sense 2
コント is a short comedy sketch usually with costumes and a set scenario, while 漫才 is a two-person comedic dialogue performed standing at microphones without acting out a scene.

Counted with

話わ
Used for counting short comedy skits (コント), like episodes: 一話, 二話.
本ほんN5
Used to count 「コント」 as works, though 「話」 sounds more natural in conversation.

Word family

コント番ばん組ぐみ
sketch comedy show
ミニコント
short comedy sketch; small-scale skit
ショートコント
skit; short comic play

Etymology

Borrowed from French 'conte' (tale, short story). In Japanese, the meaning shifted to primarily denote a short comedy sketch, a semantic change not present in the original French.