本ほん気き

ほ

ん

き

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective

Refers to a genuine, sincere, or serious state of mind, often contrasted with joking or half-heartedness. Commonly used in the adverbial form 本気で.

Related words· 8

真しん剣けんN3
真剣 stresses intense, focused concentration (like facing a serious challenge), while 本気 stresses genuine intent or sincerity often contrasted with joking.
がち
本気 is a neutral, widely used word for being serious or earnest, while がち is slang with the same idea but a rougher, more casual feel.
リアルN1
本気 means 'seriousness of intent', while リアル in its colloquial sense emphasizes that a statement or feeling is sincere and not exaggerated.
本ほん腰ごし
本気 is a general word for seriousness that can be used as an adjective (本気で), while 本腰 specifically evokes physically bracing oneself for effort and is mainly used with 入れる or になる.

Show 4 more

真面目まじめN4
本気 means genuine intent or effort behind a particular action, whereas 真面目 describes an ongoing personality trait of seriousness or honesty.
真ま心ごころN1
本気 describes seriousness or earnestness of intention or effort, but lacks the emotional warmth that 真心 carries.
まじ
本気 describes genuine seriousness or true intent and works in formal contexts, whereas まじ is purely colloquial slang.
全ぜん力りょくN1
本気 focuses on seriousness of intent or attitude, while 全力 focuses on the actual amount of effort or power exerted.

Don't confuse with

元げん気きN5
本気 (seriousness) and 元気 (health, energy) sound and look similar but have completely unrelated meanings.
本ほん物ものN4
本気 means being serious or in earnest about something, while 本物 means the genuine version of an object or thing—learners sometimes confuse the 本- prefix meaning.
本ほん音ねN2
本音 means one's true feelings or opinion, while 本気 means being serious or in earnest about doing something; learners sometimes confuse them because both start with 本.