ごまかす

Japanese

Alternative spellings
誤魔化す誤摩化す胡麻化す誤魔かす胡魔化す

Etymology

(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

First recorded in the Edo period.

According to one theory, formed from 護摩 (goma, “a holy fire in esoteric Buddhism”) + verbalizing suffix かす (kasu), from a common fraud perpetrated in the Edo period of dressing as a monk and selling regular ash purported to be ash from such holy fires.

Alternatively, from 胡麻菓子 (goma kashi, “sesame candy”), from a particular sesame candy in the Edo period called 胡麻胴乱 (goma dōran) and notable for being a mostly empty shell.

The kanji spellings are examples of ateji. The more common spelling is in hiragana, as ごまかす.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ごまかす [gòmákáꜜsù] (Nakadaka – [3])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [ɡo̞ma̠ka̠sɨ]

Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「ごまかす」

Stem forms
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形)	ごまかす	ごまかす	`[gòmákáꜜsù]`
Imperative (命令形)	ごまかせ	ごまかせ	`[gòmákáꜜsè]`
Key constructions
Passive	ごまかされる	ごまかされる	`[gòmákásáréꜜrù]`
Causative	ごまかさせる	ごまかさせる	`[gòmákásáséꜜrù]`
Potential	ごまかせる	ごまかせる	`[gòmákáséꜜrù]`
Volitional	ごまかそう	ごまかそー	`[gòmákásóꜜò]`
Negative	ごまかさない	ごまかさない	`[gòmákásáꜜnàì]`
Negative perfective	ごまかさなかった	ごまかさなかった	`[gòmákásáꜜnàkàttà]`
Formal	ごまかします	ごまかします	`[gòmákáshímáꜜsù]`
Perfective	ごまかした	ごまかした	`[gòmákáꜜshìtà]`
Conjunctive	ごまかして	ごまかして	`[gòmákáꜜshìtè]`
Hypothetical conditional	ごまかせば	ごまかせば	`[gòmákáꜜsèbà]`

Verb

ごまかす • (gomakasu) transitive godan (stem ごまかし (gomakashi), past ごまかした (gomakashita))

to cheat or deceive
to lie
to evade a question or deflect attention; to gloss over a mistake; to fudge; to bullshit
to embezzle
to defraud or swindle

Conjugation

Conjugation of "ごまかす" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	ごまかさ	gomakasa
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	ごまかし	gomakashi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	ごまかす	gomakasu
Rentaikei ("attributive")	ごまかす	gomakasu
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	ごまかせ	gomakase
Meireikei ("imperative")	ごまかせ	gomakase
Key constructions
Passive	ごまかされる	gomakasareru
Causative	ごまかさせるごまかさす	gomakasaseru gomakasasu
Potential	ごまかせる	gomakaseru
Volitional	ごまかそう	gomakasō
Negative	ごまかさない	gomakasanai
Negative continuative	ごまかさず	gomakasazu
Formal	ごまかします	gomakashimasu
Perfective	ごまかした	gomakashita
Conjunctive	ごまかして	gomakashite
Hypothetical conditional	ごまかせば	gomakaseba

Synonyms

(to deceive): 欺(あざむ)く (azamuku), 騙(だま)す (damasu)
(to lie): 嘘(うそ)を吐(つ)く (uso o tsuku), 嘘(うそ)を言(い)う (uso o iu): see 嘘 (uso, “a lie”)
(to gloss over): 取(と)り繕(つくろ)う (toritsukurō)
(to embezzle): 横(おう)領(りょう)する (ōryō suru)
(to defraud): 詐(さ)取(しゅ)する (sashu suru), 騙(だま)し取(と)る (damashitoru)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-2] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]