……
Breakdown of hontou
book; origin
本
To make a book, you need approximately one tree.
success
当
Even though he is small, Yo's life is one big success.
Usages of hontou
本当 です か？hontou desu ka?
Really? / Is it true?
Used when surprised, or when not fully trusting what has been said.
本当 に ごめん なさい。hontou ni gomen nasai.
I'm truly sorry.
本当 にhontou ni
really, truly
その 話 が 本当 か どう か 知って います か？sono hanashi ga hontou ka dou ka shitte imasu ka?
Do you know whether or not that story is true?
彼 に 本当 の こと を 言いづらい。kare ni hontou no koto o iizurai.
It's hard to tell him the truth.
Test yourself: What does hontou mean?
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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