1.
to keep in one's heart; to harbor secretly; to hold inside without telling anyone
To keep feelings, thoughts, intentions, or memories hidden inside oneself without expressing or sharing them.
思いを胸に秘める。
To keep one's feelings hidden in one's heart.
彼は決意を胸に秘めていた。
He held his determination secretly in his heart.
誰にも言えない秘密を胸に秘めて生きてきた。
She has lived keeping a secret in her heart that she could tell no one.
悔しさを胸に秘め、次の試合に向けて練習を続けた。
Keeping his frustration inside, he continued practicing for the next match.
A literary, expressive phrase. 胸 (chest/heart) represents one's inner self, and 秘める means to keep secret or hidden. The expression conveys quiet inner strength, unexpressed love, or private resolve.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 思いを胸に秘める: to keep one's feelings hidden
- 決意を胸に秘める: to keep one's resolve inside
- 悲しみを胸に秘める: to hold sadness inside
- 野望を胸に秘める: to secretly harbor ambition
USAGE:
Often used in narrative and literary contexts. Carries a nuance of stoic restraint — the person chooses not to share what they feel, either out of strength, social obligation, or inability to express it.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 心に留める: to keep in mind — more about remembering or taking note, less about secrecy
- 胸にしまう: to tuck away in one's heart — very similar meaning, slightly more colloquial
- 隠す: to hide — general hiding, without the poetic 'in one's heart' nuance