ほのぼの

ほ

の

ぼ

の

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

ほのぼのする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

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

Meanings

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

dimly; faintly; with a faint light

usually written using kana alone

Describes a soft, gentle light or a scene illuminated in a subdued, warm way. Often used with とした or と光る.

夕ゆう暮ぐれの部屋へやに、ほのぼのとした明あかりが差さし込こんでいた。
A dim, gentle light was shining into the room at dusk.
ろうそくの火ひがほのぼのと揺ゆれている。
The candle flame is flickering faintly.

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

warmly; friendly; heartwarming

usually written using kana alone

Describes a warm, gentle atmosphere or a heartwarming feeling, often in interpersonal contexts. The pattern ほのぼのとした is especially common.

家か族ぞくの団だんらんは、ほのぼのとした雰ふん囲い気きに包つつまれていた。
The family gathering was filled with a warm, heartwarming atmosphere.
彼かれの手て紙がみには、ほのぼのとした優やさしさが感かんじられた。
I could feel a gentle, heartwarming kindness in his letter.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉がほのぼのと明あかるくなるfor a place to grow faintly, gently bright (e.g. at dawn)
東ひがしの空そらがほのぼのと明あかるくなってきた。
The eastern sky began to glow faintly with light.
ほのぼのとした〈事こと〉a warm, heartwarming (story, atmosphere, etc.)
そのドラマはほのぼのとした家族かぞくの物語ものがたりだった。
That drama was a heartwarming story about a family.
〈事こと〉にほのぼのするto feel warmed or touched by something
子こ供どもたちの笑え顔がおにほのぼのした。
I felt warmed by the children's smiling faces.

Kanji

仄be seen dimly, suggest, intimate

Related words

仄ほのかN1sense 1
ほのか describes a faint, subtle sensory impression (light, scent, sound), while ほのぼの adds a warm, gentle, comforting quality to that faintness.
しみじみN2sense 2
しみじみ describes a quiet, deeply-felt emotion often tinged with reflection, while ほのぼの conveys a lighter, softly warm and heartwarming feeling.
温あたたかいN5sense 2
温かい is a plain adjective for a warm feeling or atmosphere, while ほのぼの is an adverb/adjectival expression emphasizing a gentle, heartwarming glow to that warmth.

Don't confuse with

ほんのり sense 1
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.
仄ほのかN1
ほのぼの looks similar and shares the 'ほの' root, but means warm and heartwarming rather than faint or dim like 仄か.
ほれぼれN1
ほのぼの sounds similar and shares the reduplicated rhythm of 惚れ惚れ, but it describes a warm, heartwarming feeling rather than admiring fascination.

Written forms

ほのぼのUsage96%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 仄々 and 仄仄 are rare and mainly literary.
ホノボノUsage4%
仄ほの々ぼのUsage<1%
Rare kanji spelling using the repetition mark 々.
仄ほの仄ぼの
Rare kanji spelling without the repetition mark.

Etymology

The word is a reduplication of the root ほの (as in ほのか, 'faint'), suggesting a soft, indistinct quality. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.

ほのぼの

ほ

の

ぼ

の

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

ほのぼのする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

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

Meanings

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

dimly; faintly; with a faint light

usually written using kana alone

Describes a soft, gentle light or a scene illuminated in a subdued, warm way. Often used with とした or と光る.

夕ゆう暮ぐれの部屋へやに、ほのぼのとした明あかりが差さし込こんでいた。
A dim, gentle light was shining into the room at dusk.
ろうそくの火ひがほのぼのと揺ゆれている。
The candle flame is flickering faintly.

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

warmly; friendly; heartwarming

usually written using kana alone

Describes a warm, gentle atmosphere or a heartwarming feeling, often in interpersonal contexts. The pattern ほのぼのとした is especially common.

家か族ぞくの団だんらんは、ほのぼのとした雰ふん囲い気きに包つつまれていた。
The family gathering was filled with a warm, heartwarming atmosphere.
彼かれの手て紙がみには、ほのぼのとした優やさしさが感かんじられた。
I could feel a gentle, heartwarming kindness in his letter.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉がほのぼのと明あかるくなるfor a place to grow faintly, gently bright (e.g. at dawn)
東ひがしの空そらがほのぼのと明あかるくなってきた。
The eastern sky began to glow faintly with light.
ほのぼのとした〈事こと〉a warm, heartwarming (story, atmosphere, etc.)
そのドラマはほのぼのとした家族かぞくの物語ものがたりだった。
That drama was a heartwarming story about a family.
〈事こと〉にほのぼのするto feel warmed or touched by something
子こ供どもたちの笑え顔がおにほのぼのした。
I felt warmed by the children's smiling faces.

Kanji

仄be seen dimly, suggest, intimate

Related words

仄ほのかN1sense 1
ほのか describes a faint, subtle sensory impression (light, scent, sound), while ほのぼの adds a warm, gentle, comforting quality to that faintness.
しみじみN2sense 2
しみじみ describes a quiet, deeply-felt emotion often tinged with reflection, while ほのぼの conveys a lighter, softly warm and heartwarming feeling.
温あたたかいN5sense 2
温かい is a plain adjective for a warm feeling or atmosphere, while ほのぼの is an adverb/adjectival expression emphasizing a gentle, heartwarming glow to that warmth.

Don't confuse with

ほんのり sense 1
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.
仄ほのかN1
ほのぼの looks similar and shares the 'ほの' root, but means warm and heartwarming rather than faint or dim like 仄か.
ほれぼれN1
ほのぼの sounds similar and shares the reduplicated rhythm of 惚れ惚れ, but it describes a warm, heartwarming feeling rather than admiring fascination.

Written forms

ほのぼのUsage96%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 仄々 and 仄仄 are rare and mainly literary.
ホノボノUsage4%
仄ほの々ぼのUsage<1%
Rare kanji spelling using the repetition mark 々.
仄ほの仄ぼの
Rare kanji spelling without the repetition mark.

Etymology

The word is a reduplication of the root ほの (as in ほのか, 'faint'), suggesting a soft, indistinct quality. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.