戯たわむれ

た

わ

む

れ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

play; fun; joke; flirtation

Covers lighthearted play, jesting, or flirtatious behavior. Often used in literary or slightly old-fashioned contexts, but still understood in modern Japanese.

彼

かれ

の

言こと

葉ば

は

単たん

なる

戯たわむ

れ

だっ

た

。

His words were just a joke.

二人ふたりの戯たわむれは周まわりの人ひとを和なごませた。

Their playful interaction put the people around them at ease.

Usage patterns

戯たわむれに〈動どう詞し〉to do something just for fun / as a joke
戯たわむれに嘘うそをついてしまった。
I ended up telling a lie just as a joke.
〈人ひと〉との戯たわむれflirtation or playful involvement with someone
彼かれとの戯たわむれは長ながくは続つづかなかった。
The flirtation with him didn't last long.

Kanji

戯frolic, play, sport

Related words

遊あそびN4
遊び is the everyday word for play or recreation, while 戯れ is more literary and often carries a jesting or flirtatious nuance.
冗じょう談だんN3
冗談 is the plain, direct word for a joke, whereas 戯れ expresses joking or teasing in a softer, more poetic way.
いたずらN3
悪戯 emphasizes mischief or pranking with a hint of naughtiness, while 戯れ is gentler and can also suggest flirtation rather than mischief.

Opposites

真しん剣けんN3
真剣 describes serious, earnest effort, the opposite of the light, playful spirit implied by 戯れ.

Don't confuse with

戯ざれ言ごと
戯言 shares the kanji 戯 with 戯れ but refers specifically to nonsensical or joking remarks, while 戯れ covers playful behavior more broadly, including flirtation.

Word family

戯たわむれるN1
play; frolic; be playful · flirt with; dally with · have elegance; have refinement

Etymology

Derived from the verb 戯れる (たわむれる), meaning to play or frolic. The noun form 戯れ nominalizes this action. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji 戯 is conventionally associated with play and jest.