Japanese dictionary
How to say "really" in Japanese
本当にほんとうに · hontō ni
"Really" in Japanese is 本当に (hontō ni). As a reaction, "Really?" is 本当ですか (hontō desu ka).
▶ plays native audio. Audio on this site plays when you are logged in to your free japanese.ccn.jp account (the same account as Japanese Talk by CCN).
Ways to say "really" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 本当にほんとうに · hontō ni | Really; truly. |
| 本当？ほんとう · hontō? | Really? (surprise) |
| とてもとても · totemo | Really; very. |
| すごくすごく · sugoku | Really; very (casual). |
How to use it
In casual speech, people shorten it to ほんと (honto).
"Really good" can be とてもいい or casually すごくいい.
Example sentences
- 本当にありがとうございました。Hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.Thank you so much.
- 本当ですか。知りませんでした。Hontō desu ka. Shirimasen deshita.Really? I didn't know that.
- この料理、すごくおいしいです。Kono ryōri, sugoku oishii desu.This food is really delicious.
- 今日はとても疲れました。Kyō wa totemo tsukaremashita.I'm really tired today.
- 本当に大丈夫ですか。Hontō ni daijōbu desu ka.Are you really OK?
- ほんと？よかったね。Honto? Yokatta ne.Really? That's great.
Kanji in this word
Questions
How do you say "Really?" in Japanese?
Say 本当ですか (hontō desu ka) politely, or ほんと？ (honto?) casually.
What is the difference between 本当に and とても?
本当に (hontō ni) means truly or sincerely. とても (totemo) means very. 本当にありがとう sounds more heartfelt.
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.