Joudan is the Japanese word for ‘joke’, explained

What does “joudan” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “joudan” to mean ‘joke’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “joudan” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “joudan”
• What does “joudan” literally mean in Japanese?
  • Example #1: how to say “joke” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “joudan”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “joudan”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “joudan”.

• joudan – 冗談 (じょうだん) : a noun meaning ‘joke’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “joudan” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “joudan” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 冗 : a kanji character sometimes used to mean ‘meaningless’ in Japanese.
• 談 : a kanji character sometimes used to mean ‘talk’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “joudan” literally means ‘meaningless talks’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Jokes can often be considered as meaningless talks just for fun.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “joudan” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “joudan” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “joke” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
• omoshiroi – 面白い (おもしろい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘funny’ or such in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “omoshiroi joudan” to make the object in the sentence.
• suki – 好き (すき) : the stem part of the na-adjective, “sukina”, which means ‘favorite’ in Japanese. Native speakers, however, often use this as an individual word to mean ‘to like’ or ‘to love’ in Japanese. In the example, this is used to mean ‘to love’ in Japanese.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “suki” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “joudan”. In this example, it works together with the i-adjective, “omoshiroi”, to mean ‘funny jokes’ in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “joudan”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• itsumo – いつも : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘always’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “joudan” to make the object in the sentence.
• it – 言っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iu“, which means ‘to say’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its te form, “it te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
• iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used to express the continuity of the action described by its preceding verb. In the example, this is used after “it te” to express the continuity of its action.

This is another typical usage of “joudan”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence. When we want to mean a ‘joke’ or ‘jokes’ in Japanese, anyway, this noun is always a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “joudan” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• joudan – 冗談 (じょうだん) : a noun meaning ‘joke’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘meaningless talks’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Jokes can often be considered as meaningless talks just for fun.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.