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ばか Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ばか

ば

か

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

1

noun

idiot; fool; moron

usually written using kana alone

A strong insult for a stupid person; can be used jokingly among close friends.

あいつは本ほん当とうにばかだ。
That guy is a real idiot.
ばか！何なにやってるんだ！
You fool! What are you doing?

2

Written forms

ばかUsage20%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are ateji and rarely used.
バカUsage40%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in informal writing and manga.
馬ば鹿かUsage39%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji kanji form; recognized but not commonly used.

na-adjective

stupid; foolish; ridiculous

usually written using kana alone

Describes actions, ideas, or situations as lacking sense or being absurd.

そんなばかな話はなしがあるか。
There's no way such a ridiculous story is true.
ばかなことを言いうな。
Don't say stupid things.

3

noun, na-adjective

trivial; insignificant; disappointing

usually written using kana alone

Used for things that are so minor or worthless they are not worth taking seriously.

ばかなことで悩なやむな。
Don't worry about trivial things.
給きゅう料りょうがばかみたいに安やすい。
The salary is ridiculously low.

4

noun, na-adjective

malfunctioning; defective; numb

usually written using kana alone

Describes something not working properly or a body part losing sensation.

この時計とけい、ばかになった。
This watch has stopped working.
寒さむさで指ゆびがばかになる。
My fingers go numb from the cold.

5

noun, noun, used as a prefix

incredibly; unusually; exceptionally

usually written using kana aloneslang

Slang prefix or adverb emphasizing an extreme degree; often used with adjectives.

今日きょうはばか暑あつい。
It's ridiculously hot today.
ばか正しょう直じきな人ひと。
An overly honest person.

6

noun, noun, used as a suffix, na-adjective

enthusiast; nut; obsessive

usually written using kana aloneslang

Slang suffix for someone obsessed with a particular thing; usually in compounds like 釣りばか (fishing nut).

彼かれは釣つりばかだ。
He's a fishing nut.
ゲームばかの弟おとうと。
My younger brother is a game freak.

7

noun

Mactra chinensis (trough shell)

abbreviationusually written using kana alone

Abbreviation of 馬鹿貝; a species of clam.

See also: 馬鹿貝

ばかは潮しお干ひ狩がりでよく採とれる貝かいだ。
The trough shell is a clam often caught during clam digging.

莫迦ばかUsage1%

ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form

Rare ateji kanji form.

Kanji

馬horse
鹿deer
莫must not, do not, be not
迦(used phonetically)

Similar words

あほ
Similar meaning but more common in Kansai dialect; often lighter than ばか.
まぬけ
Means 'stupid' or 'blockhead' but less versatile; mainly a noun for a foolish person.
愚おろか
More formal and literary word for 'foolish'; not used as slang.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. One theory traces it to Sanskrit 'moha' (ignorance) via Buddhist texts, but this is not confirmed. The kanji 馬鹿 are ateji.