ピエロ
ぴえろ
noun
clown; pierrot
1.
clown; pierrot
A clown or comic entertainer, especially one with a white-painted face. Also used figuratively to mean someone who is made a fool of or plays a ridiculous role.
サーカスのピエロが面白い。
The circus clown is funny.
彼はいつもピエロ役を引き受ける。
He always takes on the role of the clown.
みんなに笑われて、まるでピエロのようだった。
Everyone laughed at me, and I felt like a clown.
ピエロ comes from French "Pierrot." In Japanese, it is used both literally for circus clowns and figuratively for someone who is made a fool of or plays a ridiculous role unwittingly.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- ピエロ役: the clown role; the fool's role
- ピエロになる: to end up looking like a fool
- ピエロを演じる: to play the clown/fool
FIGURATIVE USAGE:
The figurative sense is very common. When someone is manipulated or deceived into an embarrassing situation, they may say まるでピエロだ (I'm like a clown). This carries a sense of being mocked or humiliated without realizing it.
RELATED WORDS:
- 道化師: clown (more formal/literary)
- 道化: buffoonery, clowning