おもちゃ

お

も

ちゃ

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun

toy; plaything

usually written using kana alone

A physical object designed for children to play with.

子こ供どもにおもちゃを買かってあげ

た

。

I bought a toy for my child.

このおもちゃは電でん池ちが必ひつ要ようです。

This toy requires batteries.

2

noun

plaything; toy (figurative)

usually written using kana alone

A person or thing treated as a mere object of amusement or manipulation, often with a negative connotation.

彼かれは上じょう司しのおもちゃに過すぎない。
He is nothing more than his boss's plaything.
その政せい治じ家かはマスコミのおもちゃになっている。
That politician has become a plaything of the media.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉におもちゃを買かってあげるto buy a toy for someone
父ちちは誕たん生じょう日びに新あたらしいおもちゃを買かってあげた。
My father bought me a new toy for my birthday.
〈人ひと〉をおもちゃにするto toy with someone; to treat someone as a mere plaything
彼かれは人ひとの気き持もちをおもちゃにするような人ひとだ。
He's the type of person who toys with other people's feelings.
おもちゃで遊あそぶto play with toys
子こ供どもたちは公こう園えんでおもちゃで遊あそんでいた。
The children were playing with their toys in the park.

Kanji

玩play, take pleasure in, trifle with
具tool, utensil, means

Related words

遊あそび道どう具ぐ sense 1
遊び道具 is a broader term covering anything used for play, including playground equipment, while おもちゃ specifically means a manufactured toy.
遊ゆう具ぐ sense 1
遊具 refers to play equipment such as swings and slides found in parks, while おもちゃ refers to smaller toys used mainly indoors.
トイ
おもちゃ is the everyday native Japanese word for a toy, while トイ is a loanword mostly seen in pet-product or brand-name contexts (like トイプードル or カプセルトイ).

Politeness

玩がん具ぐpolite 丁寧語sense 1
玩具（がんぐ）is the same word read in its formal, written Sino-Japanese form used in business names and statistics, while おもちゃ is the everyday spoken word.

Counted with

個こN5
counter for small objects; counter for pieces · counter for military units · individual; one person · counter for years of age difference; counter for school years

Written forms

おもちゃUsage82%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
オモチャUsage17%
search-only kana form
Katakana variant for emphasis or stylistic effect; not the primary written form.
玩具おもちゃUsage1%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Kanji form is recognized but rarely used; the word is almost always written in kana.

Etymology

Derived from the honorific prefix 御 (お) and 持ち遊び (もちあそび, 'holding and playing'), contracted over time. The kanji 玩具 are jukujikun (special reading) applied to the word.