Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| まじに | maji ni |
| 真面目に | majime ni |
| 真剣に | shinken ni |
Japanese uses different terms for 'seriously' depending on whether you are describing a person's diligent character, an intense focus on a task or a colloquial expression of disbelief.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 真剣に (shinken ni) is rooted in the word 真剣 (shinken), which literally means 'real sword'. This conveys a sense of extreme seriousness or intensity, as if one were in a high-stakes situation.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ in their specific nuance: 真面目に (majime ni) is used to describe a person's attitude or character, such as being hardworking, diligent or earnest. 真剣に (shinken ni) describes intense focus or a high level of seriousness toward a specific task or decision, often implying high-stakes concentration. In contrast, まじに (maji ni) is a colloquial, slangy way to say 'seriously'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn the noun/adjectival noun 真面目 (earnestness) into the adverb 'seriously' or 'earnestly', you must add the particle に (ni), resulting in 真面目に.
How do you pronounce it?
maji ni
Did you know?
- The root of 真剣に (shinken ni), meaning 'real sword', contrasts with 竹剣 (shinai), the bamboo sword used in training where mistakes are safe.
- The slang term まじ (maji) is believed by some linguists to be a shortened version of 真面目 (majime), effectively stripping the word of its formal weight to create a casual expression of disbelief.
- In youth slang, まじで (maji de) often functions as an intensifier similar to 'totally' or 'insanely', rather than a question about whether something is true.
Examples in context
- もう少し真面目に考えてよ。Take things a little more seriously.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 真面目に when advising someone to think more earnestly.Tatoeba #10703299 by bunbuku, translation #31235 by CK
- 僕は真剣に結婚を考えているんだ。I'm seriously considering getting married.This sentence demonstrates using 真剣に to describe a serious intention or high-stakes decision.Tatoeba #8976323 by bunbuku, translation #4496865 by CK
- フラ語真面目に勉強しとけばよかったな。I should have studied my French seriously.This sentence shows how 真面目に can be used to describe studying with a diligent attitude.Tatoeba #3179650 by tommy_san, translation #3195544 by Tappity
- 本気で取り組んでいますI'm seriously working on it
- 本気で考えますI will seriously consider it
- 真剣に取り組みましょうLet's work on it seriously
- 私は真剣に考えていますI'm seriously thinking about it
- マジで大変だったSeriously, it was tough
- マジで困るよI'm seriously troubled
- ホントに大丈夫？Are you seriously okay?
- ホントに行くの？Are you seriously going?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a surprising piece of news.
- 結衣 Yuiねえ、さっきのニュース聞いた？Nee, sakki no nyuusu kiita?Hey, did you hear the news from earlier?
- 健太 Kentaうん。でも、まじに言ってるのかな？Un. Demo, maji ni itteru no kana?Yeah. But I wonder if they're seriously saying that?
- 結衣 Yuiたぶんまじに言ってると思うよ。Tabun maji ni itteru to omou yo.I think they are probably speaking seriously.
- 健太 Kenta信じられないよ。Shinjirarenai yo.I can't believe it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seriously” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
