ふざける

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

make fun of; joke at someone's expense; play a prank

Covers joking in a way that targets someone or something, often with a teasing or disrespectful feel. Because ふざける is basically intransitive, the target is often expressed with phrases such as 〜をネタにして or 〜で.

• 人ひとの失しっ敗ぱいをネタにしてふざけるのはやめなさい。

  Stop making fun of other people's mistakes.

• 友とも達だちの名な前まえでふざけるのは失しつ礼れいだ。

  It's rude to make jokes with your friend's name.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

fool around; mess around; romp

Used for playful, silly, or disruptive behavior, especially by children or people not taking a situation seriously. Depending on context, it can sound mildly scolding.

• 子こどもたちが公こう園えんでふざけて走はしり回まわっている。

  The children are fooling around and running about in the park.

• 授じゅ業ぎょう中ちゅうにふざけるな。

  Don't mess around during class.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

neck; make out

A context-dependent euphemistic use for amorous fooling around between lovers. It is less direct and less common in modern everyday speech than words such as いちゃつく or キスする.

• 古ふるい俗ぞくな用よう法ほうでは、恋こい人びと同どう士しが「ふざける」と言いうと、抱だき合あったりキスしたりすることを指さす場ば合あいがある。

  In an older colloquial use, saying that lovers ふざける can mean that they embrace or kiss.