かくれんぼ

noun

hide-and-seek

1. hide-and-seek

A children's game where one player closes their eyes and counts while the others hide, then tries to find them.

かくれんぼをして遊(あそ)ぼう。

Let's play hide-and-seek.

かくれんぼで見(み)つかってしまった。

I got found during hide-and-seek.

子供(こども)の頃(ころ)、よくかくれんぼで遊(あそ)んだ。押(お)し入(い)れに隠(かく)れるのが好(す)きだった。

When I was a child, I often played hide-and-seek. I liked hiding in the closet.

かくれんぼ is the Japanese name for hide-and-seek.

HOW TO PLAY:
1. One person is chosen as the seeker (鬼(おに))
2. The seeker covers their eyes and counts (e.g., 「もういいかい」 "Ready or not?")
3. Others respond 「まだだよ」 (not yet) or 「もういいよ」 (ready)
4. The seeker searches for the hidden players
5. The first person found often becomes the next seeker

COMMON PHRASES:

「もういいかい」 (Are you ready? / Ready or not?)
「もういいよ」 (I'm ready / Here I come)
「まだだよ」 (Not yet)

VARIATIONS:

かくれんぼう (variant pronunciation)
隠(かく)れ鬼(おに) (variation with tagging)

RELATED GAMES:

鬼(おに)ごっこ (tag)
缶蹴(かんけ)り (kick the can)

Related Words

Related: 鬼(おに)ごっこ (tag)

general

Added 2026.1.17 18:46 · Revised 2026.6.29 9:19

06000/06322_kakurenbo