滑稽

• Reading: こっけい
• Romaji: kokkei
• Kanji breakdown: 滑 (katsu/suberu) — slide, slippery; 稽 (kei) — think, consider (historical sense: comical)
• Pronunciation: /ko.kːeː/

Meaning

Funny; comical; ridiculous; absurd. Refers to something that is laughable, either intentionally amusing or unintentionally ridiculous.

A na-adjective that can describe both deliberate comedy (a comedian's act) and situations that are absurd or undignified. In literary and critical contexts, 滑稽 often implies gentle mockery or satire rather than harsh ridicule. Also used as a noun, as in 滑稽話 (a comic tale).

Examples

1. 豪雨の中で傘もなく走り回る姿は滑稽に映っただろう。 Running around in a downpour without an umbrella must have looked pretty comical.
2. 彼の滑稽な演技が観客の笑いを誘い、場が和んだ。 His funny performance drew laughs from the audience and lightened the mood.
3. 権力者が些細なミスで慌てふためく様子は、どこか滑稽だ。 Watching a person in power panic over a trivial mistake is somehow ridiculous.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, humour, criticism, theatre

Tone: ironic

Origin & History

Borrowed from Chinese 滑稽, originally referring to a vessel that never empties — used at banquets to describe an endless flow of jokes. Over time it came to mean comical or absurd in Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo Period

Generation: Adults

Social background: General