How to Say “To Be Honest” in Japanese

By •
正直
shōjiki[ɕo̞ːʑikʲi]
The English phrase "to be honest" is translated into Japanese as 正直 (shōjiki).
正直 is used to express honesty or to say "frankly." Depending on the context and the desired tone, there are several ways to express this concept, such as using 本当のところは to mean "the truth is" in a friendly manner or using the slang term ぶっちゃけ to mean "to be blunt."
Meaning: frankly (phrase)

Which one should you use?

While 正直 is the base form, you can use 正直なところ for a more formal and complete way to say "to be honest" or "the honest truth is." For a casual, friendly tone, you can use 正直に言うとね, where the addition of ね adds a friendly tone. For very casual conversation, the slang ぶっちゃけ can be used to mean "frankly speaking."

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

The register of your phrase changes based on your relationship with the listener. 正直なところ is a polite option, while 正直に言うとね and 本当のところは are informal and friendly. For very casual or blunt speech, the slang term ぶっちゃけ is used.

How does it change in a sentence?

You can turn the noun into an adverb meaning "honestly" or "frankly" by adding the particle に to form 正直に.

How do you pronounce it?

shōjiki

Did you know?

  • The slang ぶっちゃけ is thought to have originated from the verb ぶっちゃける, which refers to the act of stripping off clothes or exposing something naked.
  • The word 正直 is composed of two kanji: 'correct' and 'direct'. This suggests that to be honest in Japanese is to be straight and unswerving.
  • If you use 正直に in a business setting, it can sometimes sound like you are admitting to a mistake or a confession, rather than just providing a frank opinion.

Examples in context

  • トムは正直そうね。
    Tom seems to be honest.
    This sentence shows how to use 正直 to describe someone's character.
    Tatoeba #11053937 by small_snow, translation #5481168 by CK
  • 正直、分かんない。
    To be honest, I don't know.
    This sentence demonstrates using 正直 at the start of a sentence to mean "to be honest."
    Tatoeba #11069520 by small_snow, translation #4049073 by AlanF_US
  • 正直でいることが大切だよ。
    It's important to be honest.
    This sentence uses 正直 to describe the importance of being an honest person.
    Tatoeba #10212614 by small_snow, translation #9795568 by DJ_Saidez
  • 実を言うと、そのアイデアは実現不可能だと思います。
    To be honest, I believe that idea is impossible to achieve.
  • 正直に言うと、その提案はあまり魅力的ではありません。
    To be honest, that proposal is not very appealing.
  • 本当のところは、あまり興味がありませんでした。
    To be honest, I wasn't very interested.
  • 正直に言うとね、この映画はかなり面白かったよ。
    To be honest, this movie was quite interesting, you know.
  • 7 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Yui and Hiroto are talking about a new movie at a cafe.

  1. 結衣 Yui

    正直、あの映画はちょっと退屈だった。
    shoujiki, ano eiga wa chotto taikutsu datta.
    To be honest, that movie was a bit boring.
  2. 大翔 Hiroto

    そうなんだ？僕は結構好きだったけど。
    sou nanda? boku wa kekkou suki datta kedo.
    Really? I actually liked it quite a bit.
  3. 結衣 Yui

    正直、期待しすぎちゃったのかも。
    shoujiki, kitai shisugichatta no kamo.
    To be honest, maybe I just expected too much.
  4. 大翔 Hiroto

    結衣の正直な感想が聞けてよかったよ。
    yui no shoujiki na kansou ga kikete yokatta yo.
    I'm glad I could hear your honest opinion, Yui.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Sheila Lillian
Sheila LillianHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top