秘密話(ひみつばなし)

A compound of 秘密(ひみつ) (secret) and 話(はなし) (talk/story), with 話(はなし) voiced to ばなし through rendaku. This is an informal, everyday word often associated with children whispering secrets or friends sharing confidential gossip.

Common collocations

• 秘密話(ひみつばなし)をする: to share a secret; to have a confidential conversation
• 秘密話(ひみつばなし)を聞(き)く: to hear a secret
• 秘密話(ひみつばなし)がばれる: for a secret to get out

Similar words

• 内緒話(ないしょばなし): secret talk (very similar; 内緒(ないしょ) is slightly more colloquial)
• 秘密(ひみつ): secret (the noun by itself, without the conversational nuance)
• 噂話(うわさばなし): gossip (not necessarily secret)