ごまかす · godan verb (-su)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | ごまかす | ごまかさない |
| Polite | ごまかします | ごまかしません |
| Past polite | ごまかしました | ごまかしませんでした |
| Past | ごまかした | ごまかさなかった |
| Te-form | ごまかして | ごまかさないで |
| Desire | ごまかしたい | ごまかしたくない |
| Potential | ごまかせる | ごまかせない |
| Passive | ごまかされる | ごまかされない |
| Causative | ごまかさせる | ごまかさせない |
| Causative passive | ごまかさせられる | ごまかさせられない |
| Volitional | ごまかそう | |
| Polite volitional | ごまかしましょう | |
| Imperative | ごまかせ | ごまかすな |
| Conditional | ごまかせば | ごまかさなければ |
| Tara conditional | ごまかしたら | ごまかさなかったら |
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Deliberately misleading someone, often for personal gain or to avoid trouble. Covers lying, tricking, and dishonest manipulation.
彼は巧みな話術で客をごまかした。
He deceived the customer with his smooth talk.
あのセールスマンにごまかされて、高い掃除機を買わされた。
I was tricked by that salesman into buying an expensive vacuum cleaner.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Manipulating records, numbers, or data to hide the truth. Common with accounts, reports, and test results.
経理部長が帳簿をごまかしていたことが発覚した。
It was discovered that the accounting manager had been falsifying the books.
実験データをごまかすのは科学者として許されない。
Falsifying experimental data is unforgivable for a scientist.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Avoiding a direct answer, sidestepping an issue, or making a mistake seem less serious. Often used with questions, taxes, or awkward situations.
彼は都合の悪い質問を笑ってごまかした。
He laughed off the awkward question.
ミスをごまかそうとして、かえって状況を悪くした。
Trying to gloss over the mistake only made things worse.
godan verb (-su), transitive verb
Stealing money that one is entrusted with, typically in a workplace or organizational setting.
彼は会社の金をごまかして逮捕された。
He was arrested for embezzling company funds.
売上金を少しずつごまかしていたらしい。
Apparently he was pocketing the sales proceeds little by little.
He tried to gloss over his mistake.
Stumped by the question, he just laughed it off.
She lied about her age when she applied.
The accountant had been falsifying the sales figures.
It turned out the treasurer had been pocketing the membership fees.
He was caught evading his taxes.
はぐらかす is specifically about dodging a question or topic evasively, while ごまかす also covers falsifying records and pocketing money.
ごまかす means to deceive or cover something up in general, while 水増し refers specifically to padding numbers like a budget or claim.
Rare ateji variant.
Rare ateji variant.