じゃんけん

noun

rock-paper-scissors

1. rock-paper-scissors

A hand game played between two or more people using three hand shapes: rock (fist), paper (flat hand), and scissors (two fingers extended). Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock.

じゃんけんで順番(じゅんばん)を決(き)めよう。

Let's decide the order with rock-paper-scissors.

じゃんけんで負(ま)けたから、掃除(そうじ)当番(とうばん)になった。

I lost at rock-paper-scissors, so I became the cleaning duty person.

じゃんけんぽん！あいこでしょ！

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! It's a tie!

The standard chant used when playing

The three hands

グー (rock/fist) - beats チョキ
チョキ (scissors/peace sign) - beats パー
パー (paper/flat hand) - beats グー

Playing phrases

じゃんけんぽん！ (Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!)
あいこでしょ！ (It's a tie! - said when replaying after a draw)
最初(さいしょ)はグー！ (First is rock! - optional starting phrase)

Common uses in japan

Deciding who goes first in games
Settling disputes fairly among friends
Choosing who pays for a meal (割(わ)り勘(かん) situations)
Children's games and classroom activities

Forms

後出(あとだ)しじゃんけん (delayed rock-paper-scissors - cheating)
連続(れんぞく)じゃんけん (continuous/tournament style)

Common collocations

じゃんけんで決(き)める (to decide by rock-paper-scissors)
じゃんけんに勝(か)つ (to win at rock-paper-scissors)
じゃんけんに負(ま)ける (to lose at rock-paper-scissors)
じゃんけんをする (to play rock-paper-scissors)

general

Added 2026.1.18 8:06 · Revised 2026.9.2 11:55

06500/06520_janken