博打(ばくち)

ばくち
noun
gambling; gamble; risky bet
informalleisure
1. gambling, games of chance
The act of wagering money or valuables on games of chance. Carries a somewhat rougher, more informal tone than ギャンブル.
博打(ばくち)に手(て)を出(だ)す。
Get into gambling.
昔(むかし)は博打(ばくち)で生計(せいけい)を立(た)てていた。
He used to make a living from gambling.
江戸時代(えどじだい)には博打(ばくち)は厳(きび)しく取(と)り締(し)まられていた。
Gambling was strictly cracked down on during the Edo period.
2. risky venture, gamble
Figuratively, any action or decision that involves significant risk and uncertain outcome.
これは大(おお)きな博打(ばくち)だ。
This is a big gamble.
転職(てんしょく)は一(ひと)つの博打(ばくち)だった。
Changing jobs was a gamble.
無名(むめい)の新人(しんじん)を起用(きよう)するのは博打(ばくち)だが、成功(せいこう)すれば大(おお)きい。
Hiring an unknown newcomer is a gamble, but if it works out, the payoff is huge.

Common collocations

Usage

Also written as 博奕(ばくち). Compared to ギャンブル, 博打(ばくち) has a more traditional, rough-around-the-edges feel and often evokes images of underground or illicit gambling. The figurative sense 2 is very common in business and everyday conversation to describe risky decisions.

Related Words

Synonym: ギャンブル (loanword)
Synonym: 賭(か)け事(ごと) (native Japanese term)
Compare: 賭(か)け (bet, wager, gamble)
general
Added 2026.2.19 19:49 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
11500/11938_bakuchi