From double entendres, puns, paraprosdokians, spoonerisms, and more, adding wordplay, or kotoba asobi (言葉遊び), to your Japanese repertoire will spice up your language and express more of your sense of humor and personality. We naturally use play on words to tell jokes and have fun when speaking with our friends. And Japanese is no different.
At the end of the day, language is just a tool of self-expression, and if you want to express yourself more naturally in Japanese, try to learn how to use play-on-words in Japanese. What are the types of kotoba asobi, and how do you form them? Let’s find out!
What is Kotoba Asobi (言葉遊び) or Japanese Wordplay?
Kotoba asobi (言葉遊び) almost directly translates to wordplay in Japanese. The word with 言葉 (kotoba) meaning “words” and 遊び (asobi) meaning “to play.” Just like in English, wordplay in Japanese can come in many forms, such as puns, double entendres, metaphors, tongue twisters, and even riddles. Basically, any form of language that “plays with words” by employing figurative language and straying or playing with the different meanings or structures of words.
Kotoba asobi is widely used across the whole Japanese language, from historic Japanese literature to J-pop songs and everyday conversation. Learning kotoba asobi will open your mind to a less literal form of Japanese, allowing you to understand so much more and speak naturally and fluently
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Common 言葉遊び (Kotoba Asobi) or Japanese Wordplay
Obviously, we cannot get into every type of kotoba asobi (言葉遊び) that exists, or else this post will be longer than an encyclopedia. But in general, there are five main types of kotoba asobi:
1. Double Entendre / Homophones: 同音異義語・掛詞 (Douon Igigo / Kake Kotoba)
Double entendres and homophones are a central part of wordplay used in poetry, literature, music, and even everyday conversation. Double entendre and homophones can be words with the exact same writing or the same sound with different spellings.
In Japanese, this is known as 同音異義語 (duon Igigo), which translates to homophone. Since Japanese uses kanji, oftentimes they have the same pronunciation in spoken language but completely different kanji, and by extension, meanings. A traditional form of this wordplay is called 掛詞 (kakekotoba), often used in classical poetry such as waka. They often incorporate a single word with multiple meanings to add layers of interpretation.
Some common homophones in Japanese include:
| かみ (Kami) | はし (hashi) | かえる (Kaeru) | いし (Ishi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 神 (god) | 箸 (chopsticks) | 帰る(to go home) | 石 (Stone) |
| 紙 (paper) | 橋 (bridge) | 蛙 (frog) | 医師 (Doctor) |
| 髪 (hair) | 端 (edge) | 変える(to change) | 意思 (will/intention) |
Popular artistic works often use double entendres to draw multilayered meanings from the same word. For example, a famous poem used the word 松 (matsu), which means pine tree, which shares the same pronunciation as 待つ (matsu), which means to wait. The author used this double entendre to compare a pine tree to waiting for a lover.
You will probably see double entendres being used in all the different wordplays in just this article alone. They are often incorporated in puns, riddles, and many other forms of playing-on-words.
2. Puns: ダジャレ (Darere)
“What is an alligator in a vest? An investigator.” You’ve heard and used puns all the time, and it’s basically the same in Japanese. They are often used to make a joke, either to make your friends laugh or roll their eyes at your corniness. While not a common Japanese pun, a funny homophonic pun we once heard went as follows:
Person A:
生姜がありますか？
Shouga ga arimasuka?
Do you have shouga (ginger)?
Person B:
しょうがないです。
Shou ga nai desu.
We don’t have ginger/it can’t be helped.
What does this pun mean? There is a common phrase in Japanese, which is しょうがない (shou ga nai), meaning “it can’t be helped.” But in this case, it was also used to say 生姜ない (shouga ga nai), which means “there is no ginger.” The pun was the double meaning of this phrase that worked for both contexts.
Some other popular puns include:
Example 1:
このお菓子、可笑しい
Kono okashi, okashii
This sweet is weird.
This is a pun playing on the similarity of the 2 words, お菓子 (okashi) meaning snack, and 可笑しい (okashii), meaning weird or strange.
Example 2:
父さんが倒産した。
Tousan ga tousan shita
Dad went bankrupt.
Tousan can mean both “bankruptcy” or “dad”, so this pun is playing with these words that sound the same but have vastly different meanings.
Try using some puns with your Japanese friends, but be warned, they might laugh because your joke is corny rather than because it’s funny.
Read More: Funny Japanese Puns to Know
3. Palindromes: 回文 (Kaibun)
A kaibun (回文) is a phrase that reads the same forward and backward. We have these in English as well, with words like “racecar” or something silly like “tacocat.” Spell them backwards, and you’ll have the same word.
Japanese palindromes are especially interesting because they are often written in hiragana to preserve the sound symmetry. They are often used in children’s language games, puzzles, and sometimes in comedy.
Example 1:
たけやぶやけた
Takeyabu yaketa
The bamboo grove burned.
Example 2:
しんぶんし
Shinbunshi
Newspaper
4. Riddles: なぞなぞ (Nazo Nazo)
Probably one of the common uses of word plays is riddles, or nazo nazo (なぞなぞ). Just like in English, Japanese riddles are a popular game for both children and adults alike, often featured in classrooms, variety shows, and as a way to pass the time among friends and family. Many Japanese riddles rely on homophones or double meanings rather than purely logical clues.
So, let’s try a few Japanese riddles below:
Riddle 1:
パンはパンでも食べられないパンは何？
Pan wa pan demo taberarenai pan wa nani?
What kind of “pan” (bread) cannot be eaten?
Answer:
フライパン
Furai pan
frying pan
This riddle plays on the similarity of the word for bread, パン (pan), and frying pan フライパン (furai pan).
Riddle 2
料理が得意な王様の名前は何？
Ryouri ga tokui na ousama no namae wa nani?
What do you call a king who is good at making food?
Answer:
クッキング
Kukkingu
Cooking
This one might be easy for those who know English, but it may not be immediately obvious in Japanese since the word for king is 王様 (ousama). So the answer plays on the fact that the English and katakana word for “cooking”, or クッキング (kukkingu), has the English word for king or キング (kingu) in the word.
Riddle 3 (Hard):
様をつけて呼ぶとずるいことばっかりする生き物だ〜れだ？
Sama o tsukete yobuto zurui koto bakkari suru ikimono da~re da?
When you add ~sama (an honorific title) to its name, it becomes a sneaky or tricky creature. What is it?
Answer:
イカ
Ika
squid
This riddles play on a double entendre with the word いかさま (ika sama), which means cheating or trickery. But it can also mean a Mr. Squid, or イカ様 (ika sama).
5. Goroawase (語呂合わせ)
語呂合わせ (ごろあわせ, goroawase) is a type of wordplay where numbers are matched with sounds to create memorable phrases. This is one of the few wordplays that doesn’t have a direct English equivalent. This is because numbers in Japanese can have multiple readings, such as 音読み (onyomi) and 訓読み(kunyomi), creating many possibilities to read them and make different creative phrases.
You will often find goroawase in advertising, brand names, special sales days, phone numbers, license plates, and commemorative dates. For example, November 22 (11/22) is sometimes called いい夫婦の日 (ii fuufu no hi), meaning “Good Couple Day.”
Examples 1:
39 (さんきゅう, sankyuu) → “Thank you”
The number 3 in Japanese is pronounced “san” and 9 is pronounced “kyuu”, so if you put these 2 numbers together, “sankyuu” sounds similar to “thank you” in English (at least with Japanese katakana pronunciation). This phrase is a common Gen Z slang, usually used on social media or in text messages.
Example 2:
4649 (よろしく, yoroshiku) → “Nice to meet you / Please treat me well.”
In Japanese, it’s common to only sound out the first syllable of a number and even mix different readings of numbers (for example, 4 is both “yon” and “shi”)
4 (yon) → yo
6 (roku) → ro
4 (shi) → shi
9 (ku) → ku
Example 3:
1129 (いいにく, ii niku) → “Good meat” (often used for Meat Day promotions)
The phrase takes the first syllable of the number 1 or いち (ichi), leaving only “い” (i), so 11 would be “いい” (ii), which means “good.” Then 29 is pronounced as にく (niku), which coincidentally also means meat.
Want to learn more Japanese that employs wordplays? Check out our article on common Japanese proverbs and sayings: 35 Japanese Proverbs & Inspiring Sayings You Need to Know
Express Yourself More By Using Play-on-Words in Japanese
By using 言葉遊び (kotoba asobi), or wordplay, you will be able to express yourself more vibrantly and show more of your personality. Think about how you speak in your native tongue; you don’t usually use bland, literal language all the time. You bring your words to life by incorporating figurative language such as similes, “I move like a turtle in the morning,” or idioms, “two birds with one stone.”
Learn More Japanese with Coto Academy!
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FAQ:
What is 言葉遊び (kotoba asobi)?
言葉遊び means “wordplay” in Japanese. It refers to playing with the sounds, meanings, or structure of words to create jokes, riddles, or memorable phrases. Common types include puns, homophones, riddles, palindromes, and number wordplay, or 語呂合わせ (goroawase).
Why is wordplay so common in Japanese?
Japanese has many homophones because the number of possible sounds is relatively limited. This makes it easy to create puns and double meanings, which are often used in jokes, advertising, and even brand names.
What are some common types of Japanese wordplay?
Some of the most common forms include: 同音異義語 (douon igigo) or homophones/puns; 回文 (kaibun) or palindromes (for instance, racecar); なぞなぞ(nazonazo) or riddles; and 語呂合わせ (goroawase) – number-based wordplay.
What is 語呂合わせ (goroawase)?
語呂合わせ (goroawase) is a type of wordplay where numbers are read in ways that match sounds in words. For example, 39 (sankyuu) can be read as “thank you.”
Are Japanese riddles difficult to understand?
They can be tricky for learners because they often depend on pronunciation or kanji readings. However, you can find riddles at a variety of different levels, so if you’re still a beginner in Japanese, you can try your hand at riddles meant for children. It will be challenging, but it will start making you think about Japanese from a new perspective.
Where can I see Japanese wordplay in everyday life?
You’ll find wordplay in normal life from commercials, slogans, product names, manga, anime, and everyday conversations. Many festivals and campaigns also use catchy 語呂合わせ (Goroawase) to make dates or phrases easier to remember.