Usage patterns 真ま っ 当とう な 〈 人ひと 〉 an upright, honest person
He's an honest, upright person.
真ま っ 当とう な 〈 物もの 〉 a decent, legitimate thing (e.g. job, business)
He's looking for a decent job.
真ま っ 当とう に 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to do something honestly or properly
It's important to live honestly.
Kanji 真 true, reality, Buddhist sect Related words まとも is the common, everyday word for 'proper/decent', while 真っ当 sounds slightly more formal or emphatic when praising someone's honesty or lifestyle.
全く is the modern standard word for 'entirely, completely'; 真っ当 in this adverbial sense is archaic and now rarely used.
Opposites 真っ当 describes a person or business as honest and law-abiding, while いかがわしい describes one as shady, suspicious, or disreputable.
Don't confuse with 妥当 shares the kanji 当 with 真っ当 but means 'reasonable/valid' (of a judgment or decision), not 'honest/decent' (of a person or lifestyle) like 真っ当 .
真っ当 is an adjective meaning 'proper' or 'honest,' while 全うする is a verb meaning to fully carry out a duty; they sound identical and share the same kanji root but function very differently in a sentence.
Written forms 真ま っ 当とう Usage 7%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Standard kanji spelling, though It is usually written in kana. The kanji are ateji.
まっとう Usage 54%
全まっと う Usage 39%
Archaic kanji form used only for the adverbial sense 'entirely, completely'.
真まっ 当とう Usage <1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.
Etymology The reading まっとう is thought to be a sound shift from まっと (全く ). The kanji 真っ当 are ateji, chosen for their phonetic value rather than meaning.
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