1.
fairy tale; nursery tale; bedtime story
stories told to children, typically featuring magic, fantasy, or moral lessons
子供にとぎ話を読んであげた。
I read a fairy tale to the children.
おとぎ話のような美しい景色だった。
It was a beautiful scene like something out of a fairy tale.
日本のおとぎ話には桃太郎がある。
Momotaro is one of the Japanese fairy tales.
2.
unrealistic story; fantasy; pipe dream
something that sounds too good to be true or is unrealistic
そんなおとぎ話を信じるな。
Don't believe such fairy tales (unrealistic stories).
一攫千金なんておとぎ話だ。
Getting rich quick is just a fairy tale.
おとぎ話みたいな話だが、本当にあったことだ。
It sounds like a fairy tale, but it really happened.
ETYMOLOGY:
おとぎ comes from 御伽 (keeping company, entertaining), originally referring to stories told to entertain or put children to sleep.
FAMOUS JAPANESE FAIRY TALES:
- 桃太郎 - Momotaro (Peach Boy)
- 浦島太郎 - Urashima Taro
- 金太郎 - Kintaro (Golden Boy)
- 一寸法師 - Issun-boshi (One-Inch Boy)
- かぐや姫 - Princess Kaguya
ALTERNATIVE SPELLINGS:
- お伽話
- 御伽噺
RELATED:
- 昔話 - folk tale, old story
- 童話 - children's story