also: ほんと
To tell the truth, I'm a little worried.
I still don't know whether that story is true.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective
Used mainly before の or as a na-adjective to mean the proper, right, or legitimate version of something; in some contexts this overlaps with 'official' or 'formally correct.'
First, let's check the proper procedure.
Please explain the correct meaning of this word.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective
Used as 本当の〜 for something genuine, authentic, natural, or truly deserving of the name; often contrasts with fake, artificial, or superficial things.
This is made of genuine leather.
We were able to see the children's genuine smiles.
Is that story true?
He always tells the truth.
Let's check whether it's true or not.
She is a true friend.
This is a leader in the true sense of the word.
He made his dream come true.
本当 is the noun/adjective meaning 'truth' or 'real', while 本当に is its adverbial form used to emphasize a statement.
本当 simply means 'true' or 'real' as a fact-check word, while 実際 emphasizes the actual state of affairs, often contrasted with assumption or theory.
本当 is the common conversational word for 'true' or 'really', whereas 真 feels formal or literary and rarely stands alone in casual speech.
Practical casual kana spelling for the shortened pronunciation; more informal than 本当.
Katakana casual/search variant marked search-only; normal dictionary spelling is 本当.
Katakana search variant; standard writing is 本当.
Old/traditional kanji form marked search-only; use 本当 in modern writing.
Katakana long-vowel search variant; used for lookup or stylized casual writing rather than standard spelling.