1.
to confide; to reveal
To share a secret, personal matter, or hidden feelings with someone.
友人に悩みを打ち明けた。
I confided my worries to my friend.
彼は長年の秘密をついに打ち明けた。
He finally revealed a secret he had kept for many years.
誰にも言えなかった気持ちを、母に打ち明けて楽になった。
I felt relieved after confiding feelings I couldn't tell anyone to my mother.
2.
to confess; to come clean
To admit something one has been hiding, often reluctantly.
実を打ち明けると、私もよく分からないんです。
To be honest with you, I don't really understand it either.
実を打ち明けると is a fixed expression meaning 'to be honest' or 'frankly speaking'.
打ち明けて言うと、あの計画には反対だった。
To be frank, I was against that plan.
彼はついに嘘をついていたことを打ち明けて、謝った。
He finally confessed that he had been lying and apologized.
打ち明ける is a transitive verb (他動詞) formed from 打つ (to strike) + 明ける (to open). The image is of opening one's heart to reveal what's inside.
ASPECT (ている):
打ち明けている is uncommon; the completed form 打ち明けた is typically used.
PARTICLE PATTERNS:
- [person]に[secret]を打ち明ける — to confide [secret] to [person]
- 実を打ち明けると — to be honest, frankly speaking
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 秘密を打ち明ける (reveal a secret)
- 本当のことを打ち明ける (tell the truth)
- 気持ちを打ち明ける (reveal one's feelings)
FIXED EXPRESSION:
実を打ち明けると or 打ち明けて言うと means "to tell the truth" or "frankly speaking" — used to introduce an honest admission.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 告白する: to confess (especially romantic feelings)
- 白状する: to confess (often wrongdoing)