本音

• 読み: ほんね
• ローマ字: honne
• 漢字の分解: 本 (hon) — real, true; 音 (ne) — voice, sound
• 発音: /hoɴ.ne/

意味

Real intention; true feelings; honest opinion. What a person genuinely thinks or feels, as opposed to what they say in public or for social purposes.

One of the most culturally important vocabulary items in Japanese. 本音 (true voice/real feeling) is contrasted with 建前 (tatemae — the public face, official position, or socially expected stance). The 本音/建前 distinction is a foundational concept in understanding Japanese communication: in many social contexts, it is considered impolite or disruptive to express 本音 directly. 本音を言えば means 'if I'm honest' or 'speaking frankly.' 本音と建前 is a set phrase taught in cultural and linguistic education.

例文

1. 彼は会議では賛成の姿勢を見せていたが、本音では計画に強い疑問を持っていた。
2. 本音を言えば、もうこの仕事を続ける気力が残っていない。
3. 本音と建前を使い分けることは、日本の職場文化を理解するうえで欠かせない視点だ。

使い方ガイド

場面: interpersonal communication, workplace, cultural studies, psychology, everyday speech

トーン: reflective, candid

起源と歴史

Compound of 本 (hon — real, true, original) and 音 (ne — voice, sound). 本音 literally means 'one's true voice' — the genuine sound of one's inner feelings. The opposition to 建前 (tatemae — the facade built up front) is a distinctly Japanese conceptual framework rooted in the interplay between uchi (in-group) and soto (out-group) communication norms.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional-Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal