馬鹿

See also: 马鹿

Chinese
horse(s) deer
trad. (馬鹿) 馬 鹿
simp. (马鹿) 马 鹿

Pronunciation

Noun

馬鹿

  1. horse and deer
  2. red deer

Derived terms

See also

Japanese
Kanji in this term
馬 鹿
ば
Grade: 2
(ateji)		 か
Grade: 4
(ateji)
kan’on kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
莫迦

Etymology

Probably originally a transcription of Sanskrit मोह (moha, “folly”), used as a cant term among monks.[1][2][3][4][5]

Alternatively, may have arisen from the same root as Old Japanese 痴 (woko, modern oko, “stupidity, ridiculousness”). However, this theory is problematic phonologically, as the /b/ ↔ /w/ shift is difficult to explain.[5]

The characters 馬鹿 (literally “horse + deer”) are ateji (当て字), probably chosen as an allusion to Literary Chinese 指鹿為馬 (“to deliberately misinterpret and invert right and wrong”, literally “to point to a deer and call it a horse”) (see that entry for more).[5]

Pronunciation

Adjective

馬(ば)鹿(か) • (baka) -na (adnominal 馬(ば)鹿(か)な (baka na), adverbial 馬(ば)鹿(か)に (baka ni))

  1. foolish, idiotic, stupid, ridiculous
    馬鹿(ばか)なことしちゃったな。
    Baka na koto shichatta na.
    I did something stupid.
    馬鹿(ばか)なことを言(い)うな。
    Baka na koto o iu-na.
    Don't be silly. Don't say such stupid things.
  2. useless, futile

Inflection
Inflection of 馬鹿
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) 馬鹿だろ ばかだろ baka daro
Continuative (連用形) 馬鹿で ばかで baka de
Terminal (終止形) 馬鹿だ ばかだ baka da
Attributive (連体形) 馬鹿な ばかな baka na
Hypothetical (仮定形) 馬鹿なら ばかなら baka nara
Imperative (命令形) 馬鹿であれ ばかであれ baka de are
Key constructions
Informal negative 馬鹿ではない
馬鹿じゃない		 ばかではない
ばかじゃない		 baka de wa nai
baka ja nai
Informal past 馬鹿だった ばかだった baka datta
Informal negative past 馬鹿ではなかった
馬鹿じゃなかった		 ばかではなかった
ばかじゃなかった		 baka de wa nakatta
baka ja nakatta
Formal 馬鹿です ばかです baka desu
Formal negative 馬鹿ではありません
馬鹿じゃありません		 ばかではありません
ばかじゃありません		 baka de wa arimasen
baka ja arimasen
Formal past 馬鹿でした ばかでした baka deshita
Formal negative past 馬鹿ではありませんでした
馬鹿じゃありませんでした		 ばかではありませんでした
ばかじゃありませんでした		 baka de wa arimasen deshita
baka ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive 馬鹿で ばかで baka de
Conditional 馬鹿なら（ば） ばかなら（ば） baka nara (ba)
Provisional 馬鹿だったら ばかだったら baka dattara
Volitional 馬鹿だろう ばかだろう baka darō
Adverbial 馬鹿に ばかに baka ni
Degree 馬鹿さ ばかさ bakasa

Noun

馬(ば)鹿(か) • (baka) 

  1. a fool, an idiot
    ラブソングだと思(おも)った僕(ぼく)が馬鹿(ばか)だった
    rabu songu da to omotta boku ga baka datta
    I was foolish to think this was a love song
    • 2008 April 20 [2008 March 31], Hidekaz Himaruya, “Meeting of the World”, in Axis Powers ヘタリア [Axis Powers Hetalia], 3rd edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Gentosha, →ISBN:
      俺(おれ)は反対(はんたい)だ！そんな現実味(げんじつみ)のない案賛成(あんさんせい)できるか！それとlearnedって言(い)うな！何(なん)だよlearnedってlearntだバカ！
      Ore wa hantai da! Sonna genjitsumi no nai an sansei dekiru ka! Sore to learned tte iu na! Nan da yo learned tte learnt da baka!
      I disagree! Who would approve such a nonsensical idea⁉ And stop saying ‘learned’! It’s ‘learnt’, not ‘learned’, you fool!
    • 2006 November 7, Hideaki Sorachi, “第(だい)百二十七訓(くん)　クーラーはタイマーで切(き)れるようにしてから寝(ね)ないと風邪(かぜ)ひくよ [Lesson 127: Set the Timer to Automatically Turn off Air-Con When You Sleep or You’ll Get a Cold]”, in 銀(ぎん)魂(たま) (銀(ぎん)魂(たま)) [Silver Soul], volume 15 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:
      なんでよりによって
      Nan de yori ni yotte
      But why her of all people
      バカはカゼひかないって言(い)…
      Baka wa kaze hikanai tte i…
      They say idiots never get colds, ri…
  2. uselessness, futility
  3. a tool used for counting coins

Usage notes

Synonyms

Derived terms
Derived terms

Descendants
  • → Chinese: 八嘎 (bāga)
  • → English: baka
  • → Korean: 빠가 (ppaga)

References
  1. “馬鹿・莫迦・破家”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
  3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. “馬鹿”, in 日本辞典 (Nihon Jiten, “Japan Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2007–2017.
  5. “バカ／馬鹿／ばか”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2003–2024.
  6. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
  7. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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