How to say "truth" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 本当ほんとうno-adjective, na-adjectiveThe everyday word for truth: use it to ask whether something is true, to say what is really the case, or to tell the truth, as in 本当ですか ('Is that true?').
- 実じつno-adjectiveSeldom the standalone word you want for 'truth': it lives mainly inside set phrases meaning 'in fact' or 'to tell the truth', so for everyday use 本当 is the natural choice.
- 誠まことnounIts heart is sincerity and honest truthfulness rather than plain facts, and standing alone it is seldom how you say 'truth'; for factual truth 本当 is the everyday word.
- 実際じっさいno-adjectiveUse it for what actually happened or is actually the case, often contrasting plans, theory or appearances with reality; it is not the word for telling the truth — that is 本当.
- 真しんno-adjectiveTruth as genuineness — the real, genuine thing; standing alone it is seldom the word you want, since it chiefly appears inside other words; for everyday 'truth' use 本当.
Use 本当 for everyday truth — whether something is true or telling the truth — and 実際 for what actually happened; 実, 誠 and 真 are mostly met inside set phrases and compounds, with 誠 leaning toward sincerity.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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