空話(からばなし)

からばなし
noun
idle talk; empty talk; tall tale
communication
1. idle talk; empty talk; baseless chatter
Talk that is without substance, basis, or sincerity. Words that amount to nothing or lead nowhere.
空話(からばなし)ばかり言(い)うな。
Stop talking nonsense.
会議(かいぎ)は空話(からばなし)に終(お)わり、何(なに)も決(き)まらなかった。
The meeting ended in idle talk and nothing was decided.
彼(かれ)の約束(やくそく)はいつも空話(からばなし)で、信用(しんよう)できない。
His promises are always empty talk, and he can't be trusted.
2. tall tale; fabricated story; made-up story
A story that is exaggerated or entirely made up, told to impress or entertain but not grounded in truth.
酒(さけ)の席(せき)で空話(からばなし)をする。
To tell tall tales over drinks.
おじいちゃんの空話(からばなし)は面白(おもしろ)いが、どこまで本当(ほんとう)かわからない。
Grandpa's tall tales are entertaining, but it's hard to tell how much is true.
子供(こども)たちに空話(からばなし)を聞(き)かせて楽(たの)しませた。
He amused the children by telling them made-up stories.

Composed of 空(から) (empty, hollow) and 話(はなし) (talk, story). The 空(から) here is the same as in 空(から)っぽ (empty) and 空振(からぶ)り (a miss, a swing and miss), conveying the sense of being without substance.

The word can also be read as くうわ, which has a more formal and literary tone, though からばなし is the more common native Japanese reading.

Common collocations

  • 空話(からばなし)に終(お)わる: to end up as empty talk
  • 空話(からばなし)を言(い)う: to talk idly; to make empty promises
  • 空話(からばなし)ばかり: nothing but idle talk

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 無駄話(むだばなし) (idle chatter)
Compare: 世間話(せけんばなし) (small talk)
Compare: 作(つく)り話(ばなし) (made-up story)
general
Added 2026.4.30 21:14 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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