密ひそか

ひ

そ

か

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective

secret; private; surreptitious

Describes actions or feelings kept hidden from others; often used with に to mean 'secretly' or 'in private'.

彼かれは密ひそかに彼かの女じょに恋こい心

ごころ

を

抱いだ

い

て

い

た

。

He secretly had feelings for her.

密ひそかな楽たのしみとして、夜よ中なかに小しょう説せつを書かいている。

As a private pleasure, I write novels late at night.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉を密ひそかに計けい画かくするto secretly plan something
彼かれらは新あたらしい事じ業ぎょうを密ひそかに計けい画かくしていた。
They were secretly planning a new business venture.
密ひそかな〈物もの〉a secret (ambition, hope, love, etc.)
彼かの女じょには密ひそかな野や望ぼうがあった。
She had a secret ambition.
密ひそかに〈動どう詞し〉to do something secretly, in private
彼かれは密ひそかに彼かの女じょのことを思おもっていた。
He was secretly thinking of her.
〈人ひと〉に密ひそかな期き待たいを寄よせるto secretly place one's hopes in someone
監かん督とくは彼かれの才さい能のうに密ひそかな期き待たいを寄よせていた。
The coach was secretly placing his hopes in the young player's talent.

Kanji

密secrecy, density (pop), minuteness
秘secret, conceal
私private, I, me
窃stealth, steal, secret
竊steal, secret, private

Related words

内ない緒しょN3
内緒 is a casual noun for keeping something hidden from specific people, while 密か is a more formal na-adjective describing an action or feeling done in secret.
秘ひ密みつN3
秘密 is a noun meaning 'a secret' or 'confidential matter', whereas 密か is an adjectival noun describing the manner in which something is done secretly.
内ない密みつ
内密 is a formal, often bureaucratic term for something kept confidential, while 密か is used more broadly for personal feelings and quiet actions.

Written forms

密ひそかUsage32%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form for this word.
ひそかUsage59%
秘ひそかUsage8%
Alternate kanji spelling, less common than 密か but still encountered.
私ひそかUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form

Etymology

The reading ひそか is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 密 carries the meaning of 'secret' or 'dense', fitting the word's sense. The exact derivation is uncertain.

こっそりN3

こっそり is a casual adverb emphasizing sneaky, furtive action, while 密か is a more literary na-adjective that can describe hidden feelings as well as actions.

隠おん密みつ

密か is a common na-adjective meaning 'quietly/secretly' for personal feelings or small acts, while 隠密 has a more formal, operational nuance.

Opposites

公こう然ぜんN1
公然 means open and public, the direct opposite of 密か, which describes something done secretly or hidden from others.

Word family

心こころ密ひそかに
inwardly; secretly; in one's heart

Rarely used kanji form.

窃ひそかUsage<1%

rarely-used kanji form

Rarely used kanji form.

竊ひそかUsage<1%

search-only kanji form

Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.