Japanese symbol for “farce”
茶番
ちゃばん
Romaji: chaban
farce; charade
In Japanese, farce is 茶番, read ちゃばん (chaban).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, n farce; charade
- n person who serves tea
- n short and humorous improvised sketch (originating from Edo-era kabuki)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “farce”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ファルス | ファルス farusu | (theatrical) farce |
| 笑劇 | しょうげき shougeki | (theatrical) farce |
| 茶番狂言 | ちゃばんきょうげん chabankyougen | farce; burlesque; low comedy |
| 道化芝居 | どうけしばい doukeshibai | farce; low comedy |
| 茶番劇 | ちゃばんげき chabangeki | burlesque; low comedy; farce |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お茶 | おちゃ ocha | tea (esp. green or barley) |
| 紅茶 | こうちゃ koucha | black tea |
| 茶碗 | ちゃわん chawan | rice bowl; tea cup; teacup |
| 喫茶店 | きっさてん kissaten | coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge |
| 茶色 | ちゃいろ chairo | brown; light brown; tawny |
| 抹茶 | まっちゃ matcha | matcha; powdered green tea |
| 一番 | いちばん ichiban | number one; first; first place |
| 番組 | ばんぐみ bangumi | program (e.g. TV); programme |
See also: Chinese symbol for “farce”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.