本当

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See also: 本當

Chinese

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For pronunciation and definitions of – see 本當 (“should”).
(This term is the simplified form of 本當).
Notes:

Japanese

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Kanji in this term
ほん
Grade: 1
とう
Grade: 2
on'yomi
Alternative spelling
本當 (kyūjitai)
Kanji in this term
ほん
Grade: 1
とう > と
Grade: 2
on'yomi irregular
Alternative spelling
本當 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

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First appears in the late Edo period in a text from 1770.[1] The clipped reading ほんと (honto) with the shorter second vowel is regarded as a simple shift from original reading ほんとう (hontō),[1][2][3] and this first appears in a text from 1886.[1]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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(ほん)(とう) or (ほん)() or 本当(ホント) (hontō or hontoほんたう (fontau)?-na (adnominal (ほん)(とう) (hontō na), adverbial (ほん)(とう) (hontō ni))

  1. [from 1770] true, proper, real
    (ほん)(とう)()()のかい?
    Hontō ni dekiru no kai?
    Can you really do it?
    (ほん)(とう)()つもりか。
    Hontō ni iku tsumori ka.
    Do you really intend to go?
    (ほん)(とう)(おれ)(たたか)つもりか。
    Hontō ni ore to tatakau tsumori ka.
    Are you really going to fight me?
    • 1996 February 20 [1988 February 15], Mitsuru Adachi, “交差点前 [In Front of the Intersection]”, in SHORT PROGRAM(ショート・プログラム) [Short Program], 25th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 50:
      そん(なか)には(いち)(まん)(せん)(えん)——!
      son naka ni wa ichimansen-en——!
      There’s 11,000 yen in that—!
      あ、(ほん)(とう)
      A, hontō da.
      Oh, you're right.
    • 2003 September 22, Akinobu Uraku, “(だい)60(ろくじゅう)() ロウワータウン [Chapter 60: Lowertown]”, in (とう)(きょう)アンダーグラウンド [Tokyo Underground], volume 11 (fiction), Tokyo: Enix, →ISBN, page 142:
      (いま)(はなし)(ほん)(とう)
      Ima no hanashi hontō
      Is it true what you just said!?
    • 2004 December 31, Hideaki Sorachi, “(だい)(さん)(じゅう)()(くん) (うみ)(みず)がなぜしょっぱいかだと? オメーら()(かい)(じん)(およ)ぎながら(よう)()してくからだろーがァァ‼ [Lesson 32: Why’s Sea Water So Salty? ‘Cos You Urban Folks Keep Pissin’ around Whenever You Go Swimmin’‼]”, in (ぎん)(たま) [Silver Soul], volume 5 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN:
      は?えいりあん退(たい)()?え?ホントに()たの?
      Ha? Eirian taiji? E? Honto ni kita no?
      What? Alien extermination? Like what? For real?

Usage notes

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  • The form 本当 (hontō na) for the attributive is nonstandard and rare. 本当 (hontō no) is used instead. This usage pattern was already apparent by at least 1785.[1]

Inflection

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Noun

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(ほん)(とう) or (ほん)() or 本当(ホント) (hontō or hontoほんたう (fontau)?

  1. [from 1770] truth, reality
    (ほん)(とう)()たくなかったのだ。
    Hontō wa iitaku nakatta no da.
    The truth is that I did not want to say it.

Usage notes

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  • Colloquially, often pronounced — and even spelled, in hiragana — as ほんと (honto) with a short vowel, instead of ほんとう (hontō).
  • This is an example of a word that can be spelled with katakana to convey an informal conversational tone, as ホント.

See also

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  • 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.