ほんのり

ほ

ん

の

り

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

ほんのりする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	ほんのりする	ほんのりしない
Polite	ほんのりします	ほんのりしません
Past polite	ほんのりしました	ほんのりしませんでした
Past	ほんのりした	ほんのりしなかった
Te-form	ほんのりして	ほんのりしないで
Desire	ほんのりしたい	ほんのりしたくない
Potential	ほんのりできる	ほんのりできない
Passive	ほんのりされる	ほんのりされない
Causative	ほんのりさせる	ほんのりさせない
Causative passive	ほんのりさせられる	ほんのりさせられない
Volitional	ほんのりしよう
Polite volitional	ほんのりしましょう
Imperative	ほんのりしろ	ほんのりするな
Conditional	ほんのりすれば	ほんのりしなければ
Tara conditional	ほんのりしたら	ほんのりしなかったら

Meanings

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

slightly; faintly; a little

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes a subtle, gentle degree of something, often a sensory quality like warmth, color, or scent. Commonly used with と and sometimes with する.

ほんのりと温あたたかいスープを飲のんだ。
I drank the slightly warm soup.
彼かの女じょの頬ほおがほんのり赤あかくなった。
Her cheeks turned faintly red.

See all 25 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

ほんのりと〈形けい容よう詞し〉faintly/slightly [adjective]
このケーキはほんのりと甘あまい。
This cake is faintly sweet.
〈物もの〉の香かおりがほんのりするto have a faint scent of something
部屋へやにコーヒーの香かおりがほんのりする。
There's a faint smell of coffee in the room.
ほんのりと〈色いろ〉に色いろづくto be tinged faintly with a color
彼かの女じょの頬ほほがほんのりと赤あかく色いろづいた。
Her cheeks were tinged faintly red.

Related words

仄ほのかN1
ほのか is a na-adjective meaning faint or dim, often describing light or scent, while ほんのり is an adverb describing a gentle, slight degree of something.
うっすらN1
うっすら also means slightly or faintly, but often implies a thin visible layer or barely perceptible amount, whereas ほんのり suggests a pleasant, mild sensation.
かすかN2
微か describes something barely perceptible or faint in intensity, while ほんのり conveys a subtle but pleasant degree, often of warmth, color, or taste.

Don't confuse with

ほのぼの
ほんのり describes a slight tinge or trace (of color, taste, or light) and is often mixed up with ほのぼの, which instead conveys a soft warmth or heartwarming feeling.

Etymology

Mimetic word; the exact derivation is uncertain, but it is likely related to the sound-symbolic element ほん (hon) suggesting something faint or gentle.