御伽話（おとぎばなし、otogibanashi）
- fairy tale

The Japanese word 御伽話 御伽話, written as おとぎばなし in hiragana, translates to "fairy tale," "folktale," or "storybook" in English. It refers to a type of traditional story, often fictional, that typically features fantastical creatures, magic, and moral lessons. These stories are often passed down through generations. The stories can also include folk stories and other types of stories that are used for entertainment.

⚫︎その 御伽話は子供たちにとても人気があります。 Translation: That fairy tale is very popular with children. ⚫︎御伽話の主人公は勇敢な騎士でした。 Translation: The protagonist of the fairy tale was a brave knight. ⚫︎彼女はいつも御伽話を読んでいます。 Translation: She is always reading fairy tales.

You can use 御伽話 御伽話 when discussing fairy tales, folktales, or storybooks. It's suitable for talking about specific stories, the genre in general, or the characters and themes within these stories.

御伽話 御伽話 is primarily written using the kanji 御伽話, though おとぎばなし in hiragana is also common. There are no other common ways to write this word, and the okurigana is fixed.

⚫︎昔話 (むかしばなし) - old tales, folk tales ⚫︎童話 (どうわ) - children's stories

There aren't direct antonyms in the same sense, but you could consider contrasting genres or subjects: ⚫︎現実 (げんじつ) - reality ⚫︎ノンフィクション - nonfiction

その 御伽話は、魔法と冒険に満ちています。 ・Translation: That fairy tale is filled with magic and adventure. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the typical content of a fairy tale.

私のお気に入りの 御伽話は「シンデレラ」です。 ・Translation: My favorite fairy tale is "Cinderella." ・Explanation: This sentence expresses a personal preference for a specific fairy tale.

The word 御伽話 御伽話 is derived from 御伽 (otogi) and 話 (banashi). 御伽 originally referred to attendants who told stories to entertain nobles, and 話 means "story" or "tale." Therefore, 御伽話 御伽話 means a "story told by an attendant."