1.
sincerity; faithfulness; integrity
A heartfelt, honest attitude; loyalty and trustworthiness in one's words and actions. A core virtue in traditional Japanese ethics, often associated with bushidō and Confucian values.
誠を尽くす。
To act with sincerity / give one's all faithfully.
彼は誠のある人だ。
He is a person of integrity.
お客様には誠をもって対応します。
We respond to customers with utmost sincerity.
2.
truth; reality; fact
What is actually the case; truth as opposed to falsehood. Somewhat literary or formal; everyday speech uses 本当 instead.
それが誠か。
Is that the truth?
今語ったことは全て誠である。
Everything I just told you is the truth.
噂が誠か偽りか、まだ確かめていない。
I haven't yet verified whether the rumor is true or false.
An older native Japanese word that has taken on a somewhat formal or literary tone in modern usage. Also a very common given name (especially masculine).
ADVERBIAL USE — 誠に:
The most frequent modern usage is as the adverb 誠に (truly, sincerely, indeed), heard in polite business expressions:
- 誠にありがとうございます: thank you very much (sincerely)
- 誠に申し訳ありません: I am truly sorry
- 誠に恐縮ですが: I am truly sorry to trouble you
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 誠を尽くす: to act with utmost sincerity
- 誠を込める: to put one's heart into
- 誠のある人: a person of integrity
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 真実: truth — modern, neutral word for truth; more common than 誠 for sense 2
- 誠実: sincere; faithful — the な-adjective form covering the same virtue
- 本当: true; really — everyday equivalent of sense 2