Usage patterns 本ほん 音ね を 漏も らす to let slip one's true feelings
He tends to let his true feelings slip when he drinks.
本ほん 音ね で 話はな す to speak candidly, without hiding one's real feelings
Let's talk candidly today.
本ほん 音ね を 隠かく す to hide one's true feelings
She always hides her true feelings behind a smile.
〈 人ひと 〉 の 本ほん 音ね を 聞き く to hear someone's true feelings
I was surprised to hear my friend's true feelings.
本ほん 音ね が 出で る for one's true feelings to come out
As the discussion drags on, everyone's true feelings start to come out.
Expressions 本ほん 音ね と 建たて 前まえ true feelings vs. public stance; real motive vs. stated reason 本ほん 音ね を 言い う speak one's mind; be frank; tell the truth Related words· 7 本音 and 本心 both mean one's genuine feelings, but 本心 leans toward the deeper, inner heart/motive while 本音 focuses on what one would actually say if being honest.
真意 is a more formal, often written word for one's true intention or meaning, whereas 本音 is the everyday word for one's unguarded true feelings.
本音 is one's genuine feelings or real intention, often contrasted with polite 建前 , while 下心 specifically points to a hidden, self-serving motive behind an action.
本音 refers to one's real intention or true feelings in a specific situation, while 胸襟 is a literary metaphor for the heart where such feelings are kept.
Show 3 more Show fewer 本音 is one's true feelings or opinions as opposed to a public facade (建前 ), while 本意 stresses one's genuine intention or will without necessarily implying concealment.
本音 is one's true feelings as opposed to a public façade (建前 ), whereas 心底 focuses on the depth and sincerity of feeling itself.
本音 refers to one's genuine, unspoken feelings, while 他意 focuses on a possibly ulterior or hidden purpose behind an action.
Opposites 本音 is what someone truly thinks or feels, while 建前 is the official or socially expected stance they state outwardly.
本音 refers to one's genuine feelings or true intentions, in contrast to 口先 , which describes superficial words that may not reflect what one really thinks.
本音 is a person's true, private feelings, often contrasted with 正論 , the officially correct or logically right thing to say.
Don't confuse with 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 .
本音 means one's true personal feelings hidden behind a public front, while 本質 means the fundamental nature of a thing or matter, not a person's honesty.
Written forms 本ほん 音ね Usage 92%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word in news and everyday contexts.
ホンネ Usage 8%
Etymology Compound of 本 (true, real) and 音 (sound, tone), literally 'true sound'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period to mean one's real thoughts.
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