Translation guide
How to express trusting someone enough to share secrets or personal feelings in Japanese.
To tell someone something private, trusting they will keep it confidential.
The most common and natural way to say 'confide in' when revealing a secret or personal trouble. Used with に for the person.
I confided my worries to her.
I have a secret I can't confide to anyone.
Means 'consult' or 'discuss', often used when confiding in someone to seek advice. Softer than 打ち明ける.
I confided in my mother about my future.
Explicitly 'reveal a secret', emphasizing the confidential nature.
I confided the secret only to him.
Literary expression meaning 'reveal what's in one's heart'. Used in writing or formal speech.
She confided her innermost feelings to me.
To rely on someone to keep something private, often implying a close relationship.
Expressing that you can open up to someone without specifying the content.
The English 'confide in' does not have a single direct verb in Japanese. Using 信頼する alone is not enough; you need phrases like 打ち明ける or 相談する to convey the act of sharing secrets.
打ち明ける focuses on revealing a hidden truth or secret, often emotional. 相談する implies seeking advice or discussing a problem. Use 打ち明ける for confessions, 相談する for consultations.
confide a secret
confide one's worries (to get advice)
I entrusted my secret to my best friend.
She is a friend I can confide anything to.