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Definition 2024


真面目

真面目

Chinese

real; true; genuine face
simp. and trad.
(真面目)
面目

Noun

真面目

  1. (idiomatic, often pejorative) true colors

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
Grade: 3 Grade: 3 Grade: 1
Irregular

The kanji spelling is an example of ateji (当て字).

Pronunciation

  • (Irregular reading)
  • (Tokyo) じめ [màjímé] (Heiban - [0])[1]
  • IPA(key): [ma̠d͡ʑime̞]

Adjectival noun

真面目 (-na inflection, hiragana まじめ, romaji majime)

  1. serious, earnest
    真面目 (まじめ)にやれ!
    Majime ni yare!
    Do it seriously!
  2. honest
Inflection

Noun

真面目 (hiragana まじめ, romaji majime)

  1. seriousness
  2. honesty
Antonyms
Derived terms
  • 生真面目 (きまじめ) (kimajime)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
しん
Grade: 3
めん
Grade: 3
もく
Grade: 1
on'yomi

Pronunciation

Adjectival noun

真面目 (-na inflection, hiragana しんめんもく, romaji shinmenmoku)

  1. actual
  2. sincere
Inflection

Noun

真面目 (hiragana しんめんもく, romaji shinmenmoku)

  1. actual value
  2. sincerity

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
しん
Grade: 3
めん
Grade: 3
ぼく
Grade: 1
on'yomi

Pronunciation

Adjectival noun

真面目 (-na inflection, hiragana しんめんぼく, romaji shinmenboku)

  1. actual
  2. sincere
Inflection

Noun

真面目 (hiragana しんめんぼく, romaji shinmenboku)

  1. actual value
  2. sincerity

References

  1. 1 2 3 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9