誤魔化す
ごまかす
verb (godan)
to deceive, to fudge, to gloss over
他動詞 transitivecommunication
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 誤魔化す | 誤魔化さない |
| Present polite | 誤魔化します | 誤魔化しません |
| Past | 誤魔化した | 誤魔化さなかった |
| Past polite | 誤魔化しました | 誤魔化しませんでした |
| て form | 誤魔化して | 誤魔化さなくて |
| ている present | 誤魔化している | 誤魔化していない |
| ている polite | 誤魔化しています | 誤魔化していません |
| ている past | 誤魔化していた | 誤魔化していなかった |
| ている past polite | 誤魔化していました | 誤魔化していませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 誤魔化せば | 誤魔化さなければ |
| Conditional たら | 誤魔化したら | 誤魔化さなかったら |
| Volitional | 誤魔化そう | — |
| Volitional polite | 誤魔化しましょう | — |
| Potential | 誤魔化せる | 誤魔化せない |
| Passive | 誤魔化される | 誤魔化されない |
| Causative | 誤魔化させる | 誤魔化させない |
| Imperative | 誤魔化せ | 誤魔化すな |
1.
to deceive, to cheat, to swindle
To trick someone for personal gain, such as cheating on expenses or falsifying numbers.
2.
to gloss over, to cover up, to fudge
To hide a mistake, avoid a difficult question, or smooth over an awkward situation by being evasive or changing the subject.
Usage
誤魔化す is a godan verb that takes を to mark what is being concealed or faked. The kanji 誤魔化す is ateji — the word is often written in kana as ごまかす. Both forms are common.
Common collocations
- 笑って誤魔化す: to laugh it off
- 年齢を誤魔化す: to lie about one's age
- 数字を誤魔化す: to fudge the numbers
- 質問を誤魔化す: to evade a question
- 誤魔化しがきかない: cannot be covered up
Similar words
騙す (to trick, to deceive) implies a more deliberate and calculated deception, while 誤魔化す often involves minor dishonesty or evasion. 誤魔化す can be relatively casual — dodging an awkward question is ごまかす, but a major fraud would more likely use 騙す.
Related Words
Compare:
騙す (to deceive (deliberate))
Synonym:
取り繕う (to gloss over, to smooth over)
Compare:
欺く (to deceive, to trick)
Compare:
濁す (to make muddy)
Compare:
お茶を濁す (to give a vague answer)