ごまかす

Japanese

Alternative spellings
誤魔化す 誤摩化す 胡麻化す 誤魔かす 胡魔化す

Etymology

First recorded in the Edo period.

According to one theory, formed from 護摩 (goma, “a holy fire in esoteric Buddhism”) + verbalizing suffix かす (kasu), from a common fraud perpetrated in the Edo period of dressing as a monk and selling regular ash purported to be ash from such holy fires.

Alternatively, from 胡麻菓子 (goma kashi, “sesame candy”), from a particular sesame candy in the Edo period called 胡麻胴乱 (goma dōran) and notable for being a mostly empty shell.

The kanji spellings are examples of ateji. The more common spelling is in hiragana, as ごまかす.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ごまか​す [gòmákáꜜsù] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ɡo̞ma̠ka̠sɨᵝ]

• Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "ごまかす"

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形)	ごまかす	ごまか​す	[gòmákáꜜsù]
Imperative (命令形)	ごまかせ	ごまか​せ	[gòmákáꜜsè]
Key constructions
Passive	ごまかされる	ごまかされ​る	[gòmákásáréꜜrù]
Causative	ごまかさせる	ごまかさせ​る	[gòmákásáséꜜrù]
Potential	ごまかせる	ごまかせ​る	[gòmákáséꜜrù]
Volitional	ごまかそう	ごまかそ​ー	[gòmákásóꜜò]
Negative	ごまかさない	ごまかさ​ない	[gòmákásáꜜnàì]
Negative perfective	ごまかさなかった	ごまかさ​なかった	[gòmákásáꜜnàkàttà]
Formal	ごまかします	ごまかしま​す	[gòmákáshímáꜜsù]
Perfective	ごまかした	ごまか​した	[gòmákáꜜshìtà]
Conjunctive	ごまかして	ごまか​して	[gòmákáꜜshìtè]
Hypothetical conditional	ごまかせば	ごまか​せば	[gòmákáꜜsèbà]

Verb

ごまかす • (gomakasu) transitive godan (stem ごまかし (gomakashi), past ごまかした (gomakashita))

1. to cheat or deceive
2. to lie
3. to evade a question or deflect attention; to gloss over a mistake; to fudge; to bullshit
4. to embezzle
5. to defraud or swindle

Conjugation

Conjugation of "ごまかす" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	ごまかさ	gomakasa
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	ごまかし	gomakashi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	ごまかす	gomakasu
Rentaikei ("attributive")	ごまかす	gomakasu
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	ごまかせ	gomakase
Meireikei ("imperative")	ごまかせ	gomakase
Key constructions
Passive	ごまかされる	gomakasareru
Causative	ごまかさせる ごまかさす	gomakasaseru gomakasasu
Potential	ごまかせる	gomakaseru
Volitional	ごまかそう	gomakasō
Negative	ごまかさない	gomakasanai
Negative continuative	ごまかさず	gomakasazu
Formal	ごまかします	gomakashimasu
Perfective	ごまかした	gomakashita
Conjunctive	ごまかして	gomakashite
Hypothetical conditional	ごまかせば	gomakaseba

Synonyms

Synonyms

• (to deceive): 欺(あざむ)く (azamuku), 騙(だま)す (damasu)
• (to lie): 嘘(うそ)を吐(つ)く (uso o tsuku), 嘘(うそ)を言(い)う (uso o iu): see 嘘 (uso, “a lie”)
• (to gloss over): 取(と)り繕(つくろ)う (toritsukurō)
• (to embezzle): 横(おう)領(りょう)する (ōryō suru)
• (to defraud): 詐(さ)取(しゅ)する (sashu suru), 騙(だま)し取(と)る (damashitoru)