Translation guide
How to express 'privately' in Japanese, covering personal thoughts, confidential communication, and non-public settings.
Expressing that something is thought or felt personally, not publicly stated.
Adverb meaning 'inwardly' or 'privately', used for thoughts or feelings not expressed openly.
Privately, I was against it.
Literally 'in one's heart/mind', used to contrast private feelings with outward behavior.
Privately, I was happy.
Means 'personally' or 'privately', often used to give a personal opinion that may differ from the group.
Privately, I'm in favor.
Describing communication or information shared in private, not for public knowledge.
Adverb meaning 'confidentially' or 'privately', used for keeping matters secret within a small group.
We discussed the matter privately.
Means 'unofficially' or 'privately', often used for discussions outside formal channels.
A meeting was held privately.
Literally 'just the two of us', implying a private conversation without others present.
I want to talk privately.
Means 'secretly' or 'privately', often with a nuance of stealth or hidden action.
They proceeded with the plan privately.
Referring to actions or events that occur away from public view, in a personal space.
Adverb meaning 'personally' or 'privately', used for actions done outside official or public capacity.
I want to meet privately.
Loanword meaning 'in private', commonly used for personal time or informal settings.
Let's meet privately.
Literally 'avoiding public gaze', used when privacy is needed to avoid observation.
We spoke privately, away from prying eyes.
Describing something not owned or run by the government, such as a business or institution.
Prefix meaning 'private' (as opposed to public), used for institutions like schools or hospitals.
a privately run school
Means 'private sector' or 'civilian', used for companies or organizations not government-controlled.
Means 'privately owned' (by an individual), used for property or assets.
a privately owned art museum
The English adverb 'privately' often does not translate directly into a single Japanese word. Choose the expression based on whether you mean 'inwardly', 'confidentially', or 'in a non-public setting'.
民間企業
privately owned company