芝しば居い

し

ば

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun

play; drama; theatrical performance

Refers to a stage play or theatrical performance. Can also be used figuratively for pretense or acting in real life.

来らい月げつ、新あたらしい芝しば居いを見みに行いく予よ定ていです。
I plan to go see a new play next month.
彼かれの涙なみだは芝しば居いだった。
His tears were just an act.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が芝しば居いを見みるto watch a play
友とも達だちと一いっ緒しょに歌か舞ぶ伎きの芝しば居いを見みた。
I watched a kabuki play together with a friend.
芝しば居いをするto put on a play, or (figuratively) to put on an act / pretend
彼かれは驚おどろいたふりをして芝しば居いをした。
He pretended to be surprised and put on an act.
芝しば居いに出でるto appear in / act in a play
彼かの女じょは高こう校こうの文ぶん化か祭さいで芝しば居いに出でた。
She appeared in a play at her high school's cultural festival.
芝しば居いがうまいto be good at acting / good at pretending
彼かの女じょは芝しば居いがうまくて、本ほん当とうに困こまっているように見みえた。
She's good at acting, so she looked like she was really in trouble.

Expressions

芝しば居いを打うつplay a trick; put on a false show; deceive · put on a play; present a play

Kanji

芝turf, lawn
居reside, to be, exist

Related words· 7

演えん劇げきN3
演劇 is the broad, formal term for theatre as an art form, while 芝居 usually points to a specific play or performance and carries a more colloquial, traditional feel.
劇げきN3
劇 is a simple, neutral word for a play or drama, whereas 芝居 often adds a nuance of traditional Japanese theatre or, figuratively, staged pretense.
舞ぶ台たいN3
舞台 refers to the stage or a theatrical production as a setting, while 芝居 focuses on the play itself as a story being performed.
演えん技ぎN3
演技 means 'acting' or 'performance skill', close to the figurative sense of 芝居 as 'putting on an act', but it doesn't refer to a whole play.

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狂きょう言げん
芝居 is the general word for a play or act, while 狂言 in its figurative sense implies a deliberately staged deception.
プレイN3
芝居 is the natural Japanese word for a theatrical play or performance, while プレー in this sense sounds more formal or literary.
茶ちゃ番ばん
芝居 literally means a stage play but can also mean a put-on act, whereas 茶番 always carries the negative sense of a ridiculous, transparent sham.

Counted with

幕まくN3
curtain; stage curtain; screen · act in a play; act; counter for acts · falling of the curtain; end of a scene · end; close; conclusion · one's place; one's turn; role to play; occasion for involvement · makuuchi; top sumo division

Word family· 28

紙かみ芝しば居い
kamishibai; picture-story show
猿さる芝しば居い
monkey show · bad acting; overacting; unconvincing performance; farce; clumsy subterfuge
一ひと芝しば居い
a trick; a put-on act; a little drama
伽とぎ芝しば居い
fairy play; pantomime
地じ芝しば居い
community performance; local amateur theatricals

Show 7 more

夏なつ芝しば居い
summer play; summer theater
大おお芝しば居い
large-scale play; play with an A-list cast · big act; charade; false display · licensed theatre (Edo period)
小こ芝しば居い
small theatre; kabuki in a small theatre · skit; short performance; routine
村むら芝しば居い
village play; play put on in a village
芝しば居い気ぎ
theatricality; affectation; putting on an act
芝しば居い絵え
kabuki ukiyo-e print; kabuki-e; shibai-e
芝しば居い者もの
actor; actress; theater person

See all 28 in Explore →

Written forms

芝しば居いUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling for theatrical play or drama.
しばいUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 芝 (しば, 'turf, lawn') and 居 (い, 'being, sitting'). Originally referred to performances on grassy areas or temporary stages, later generalized to mean theatrical play.