騙す

• Reading: だます
• Romaji: damasu
• Kanji breakdown: 騙 (hen/damasu) — deceive, cheat, swindle
• Pronunciation: /da.ma.sɯ/

Meaning

To deceive; to trick; to cheat. Intentionally misleading someone for personal gain or amusement.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. Used for outright fraud (人を騙す, to deceive someone), scams (お金を騙し取る, to swindle money), and lighter deception. The compound 騙し騙し means 'while making do' or 'nursing along.' Carries a stronger negative connotation than ごまかす (to fudge/cover up).

Examples

1. あの男にお金を騙し取られた。 That man swindled me out of my money.
2. 人を騙すのは絶対にいけないことだ。 Deceiving people is absolutely wrong.
3. 彼女は優しい言葉で相手を騙した。 She tricked the other person with sweet words.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, daily life, warnings

Tone: negative

Origin & History

The kanji 騙 combines 馬 (horse) and 扁 (flat/partial). One interpretation links it to calming a horse with soothing words — using gentle persuasion to mislead. Has been used for deception since the medieval period.

Cultural Context

Era: Medieval

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal