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JAPANESE VERB

ぼける

to play the fool, to say the silly line

  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI play the fool
NegativeI don’t play the fool

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI played the fool
NegativeI didn’t play the fool

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formplaying the fool, and…
Doing now (て います)I am playing the fool
Please (て ください)please play the fool

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can play the fool
NegativeI can’t play the fool

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to play the fool
NegativeI don’t want to play the fool

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s play the fool

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I play the fool
  2. If, when (たら) if I play the fool

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) play the fool (do it)
  2. Plain command play the fool!
  3. Please don’t please don’t play the fool

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am played the fool
CausativeI make someone play the fool

How to use ぼける

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    かれ は、 かいぎ ちゅう でも ぼけます。

    He plays the fool even in meetings.

  2. Past

    しゃちょう が ぼけた ので、 みんな こまった。

    The president played the fool, and nobody knew what to do.

  3. Te-form

    ちょっと ぼけて みた けど、 だれ も わらわなかった。

    I tried a silly line, but nobody laughed.

  4. Potential

    まじめ な かお で ぼけられる ひと が、 うらやましい。

    I envy people who can play the fool with a straight face.

  5. Want to

    たまに は、 わたし だって ぼけたい。

    Now and then, I want to play the fool too.

  6. Volitional

    つぎ の のみかい で、 おもいきり ぼけよう。

    At the next drinks, let's really play the fool.

  7. Conditional

    あなた が ぼければ、 わたし が つっこみます。

    If you play the fool, I'll hit it back.

  8. Commands and requests

    もっと おおきな こえ で、 ぼけなさい。

    Play the fool in a louder voice.

  9. Passive and causative

    まじめ な はなし の とちゅう で、 ぼけられて こまった。

    He played the fool in the middle of a serious talk, and I didn't know what to do.

Good to know

  • ぼける is to say the silly line on purpose, the ぼけ half of a まんざい pair; the つっこみ hits it back. てんねん ぼけ is someone who is funny without trying.
  • ぼける also means to go blurry, しゃしん が ぼける, and to go senile. じさ ぼけ is jet lag.

Where you hear ぼける

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Fluency Level 1

  • ふじた さん は、 まじめ な かお で ぼける。 Mr. Fujita plays the fool with a straight face.
  • ふじた さん が ぼけた。 Mr. Fujita played the fool.
  • あした の かいぎ で、 ぼけます よ。 At tomorrow's meeting, I'll play the fool.
26
The fool and the straight man

Fluency Level 1 · ふじた さん、 ぼけて ください。

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).