Uso is the Japanese word for ‘lie’, explained

What does “uso” mean in Japanese?

Japanese native speaker say “uso” to mean ‘lie’ in Japanese. Very simple. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word 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 to understand “uso” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “uso”
• “Uso” in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “lie” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “uso”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “uso”

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

• uso – 嘘 (うそ) : a noun meaning ‘lie’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to something not true. So, it can work in a quite similar way that the English noun, “lie”, does.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji character in detail.

“Uso” in kanji

The kanji character of “uso” consists of the following two parts:

• 口 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘mouth’ in Japanese.
• 虚 : a kanji character used to express emptiness.

From these two parts, we can understand that the kanji character of “uso” expresses ’emptiness from a mouth’. This concept doesn’t seem to be in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Lies can be considered as something empty, something doesn’t contain truths.

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

Then, let me explain how to use “uso” through the example sentences below.

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

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• chichi – 父 (ちち) : a noun meaning ‘father’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi no chichi” to make the subject in the sentence.
• tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “uso” to make the object word in the sentence.
• tsuku – つく : a verb meaning ‘to let [something, mainly words or phrases] out from a mouth’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “uso”. In this example, it works as a part of the idiomatic expression, “uso wo tsuku”, which means ‘to tell a lie’ or just ‘to lie’ in Japanese. Native speakers often use this expression, so it’s worth knowing. Anyway, when we want to say “lie” in Japanese, “uso” is a very good option.

Example #2: another usage of “uso”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• usotsuki – 嘘つき (うそつき) : a noun meaning ‘liar’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun.
• 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 “usotsuki” to make it sound polite.
• ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used at the end of a sentence to make a question. In the example, this is used at the end of the sentence to make the question. This is often used with the pitch raised.

This is another typical usage of “uso”. In this example, it works as a part of the longer noun, “usotsuki”, which means ‘liar’ in Japanese.

Summary

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

• uso – 嘘 (うそ) : a noun meaning ‘lie’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. The left part of this kanji means ‘mouth’; the right part expresses ’emptiness’. So, the concept of this kanji is ’emptiness from a mouth’. This doesn’t seem to be in line with the meaning, but still very close. Lies can be considered as something empty, something doesn’t contain truths.
• uso wo tsuku – 嘘をつく (うそをつく) : an idiomatic expression meaning ‘to tell a lie’ or just ‘to lie’ in Japanese.
• usotsuki – 嘘つき (うそつき) : a noun meaning ‘liar’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.