The Meaning of detarame [出鱈目] In Japanese

出鱈目
でたらめ
Romaji: detarame N5

What does 出鱈目 mean?

Translation and Meaning

nonsense, fabrication, made-up, random

Definition

What does 出鱈目 mean? It denotes talk or behavior that is ungrounded and uncontrolled, often used to describe statements made without evidence or care.

Type

noun, na-adjective, adverb (Japanese: 名詞, な形容動詞, 副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • nonsense or drivel — statements lacking factual basis
  • fabrication or made-up story — deliberate falsehood or tall tale
  • carelessly or arbitrarily, in an unregulated way — actions or remarks done without care

Etymology

ateji spelling; the word is read detarame, with kanji selected for semantic impact rather than phonetic value; over time this spelling became conventional.

Composition

  • 出: to come out, emit; used here to convey something that comes out as talk
  • 鱈: a cod fish (tara); selected for semantic weight; phonetic cue in the word
  • 目: eye or item; adds the notion of a type or example

Usage

Used in casual conversation and informal writing to describe statements or actions that are not truthful or well-founded; can modify nouns as でたらめな話, and can be used as でたらめに to describe actions done without care; common in colloquial speech.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize a cod speaking nonsense and spitting it out of its mouth, with the image of an eye on the cod watching you, linking 出, 鱈, and 目 to detarame.

Variations

  • でたらめ (detarame) — base noun/adjective
  • でたらめな (detarame na) — na-adjective form
  • でたらめに (detarame ni) — adverbial form
  • 虚言 (kyogen) — lie, falsehood
  • 作り話 (tsukuri-banashi) — fabrication or tall tale

Example Phrases

  • 友達は 出鱈目な 予定を 立てて、 私は困った。
    Tomodachi wa detarame na yotei o tatete, watashi wa komatta.
    My friend made a nonsensical plan, and I was at a loss.
    Lista:
    • 友達は (tomodachi wa) – my friend
    • 出鱈目な (detarame na) – nonsensical
    • 予定を (yotei o) – plan
    • 立てて (tatete) – making (a plan)
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 困った (komatta) – was at a loss
    The word 「出鱈目」 is a noun used as a na-adjective 「出鱈目な」 meaning ‘nonsense’ or ‘absurd’; here it modifies 「予定」.
出鱈目