オチ
おち
noun
punchline; ending; conclusion
1.
punchline; punch line
The funny or surprising ending of a joke or story. The climax that makes the audience laugh.
オチがおもしろい。
The punchline is funny.
話のオチがわからなかった。
I didn't get the punchline of the story.
オチを先に言わないで！
Don't give away the punchline!
2.
ending; conclusion; resolution
The conclusion or resolution of a story, situation, or event. How something turns out in the end.
結局オチはどうなった？
So how did it turn out in the end?
この映画はオチが予想外だった。
This movie had an unexpected ending.
オチのない話は退屈だ。
A story without a proper ending is boring.
オチ is written in katakana but comes from the Japanese verb 落ちる (to fall).
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- オチがつく: to reach a conclusion
- オチがない: to have no punchline/point
- オチを言う: to deliver the punchline
- オチを聞く: to hear the ending
RELATED TERMS:
- ボケとツッコミ: comedy duo roles (setup person and straight man)
- 下げ: similar to オチ, used in 落語
NUANCE:
In comedy, especially 漫才 (stand-up comedy) and 落語 (traditional storytelling), the オチ is crucial. In everyday conversation, it's used when asking "how did it turn out?" or commenting that a story lacked a satisfying conclusion.