本気(ほんき)

ほんき
noun
seriousness, earnestness
1. seriousness, earnestness, being serious
A genuine, sincere, or serious attitude; not joking or playing around.
本気(ほんき)で言(い)っているの？
Are you serious?
本気(ほんき)で頑張(がんば)る。
To try hard seriously.
彼(かれ)は本気(ほんき)だった。
He was serious.

COMPOUND: 本(ほん) (real, true) + 気(き) (spirit, feeling)

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 本気(ほんき)で (seriously, in earnest)
  • 本気(ほんき)になる (to get serious)
  • 本気(ほんき)を出(だ)す (to get serious, show one's true ability)
  • 本気(ほんき)にする (to take seriously)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 真剣(しんけん) (serious, earnest - more formal)
  • マジ (seriously - slang, from 本気(まじ))
  • 冗談(じょうだん) (joke - antonym)

COLLOQUIAL READING: マジ comes from 本気(まじ), an alternative reading used in casual speech.

Related Words

Synonym: 真剣(しんけん) (formal)
general
Added 2026.1.11 21:49 · Revised 2026.1.19 21:17
03000/03153_honki