真面目

Chinese

real; true; genuine face; look; appearance
trad. (真面目/眞面目) / 面目
simp. (真面目) 面目

Pronunciation


Noun

真面目

  1. (idiomatic, often derogatory) true features; true identity; true colors

Derived terms

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term

Grade: 3

Grade: 3

Grade: 1
jukujikun
Alternative spelling
眞面目 (kyūjitai)

Appears to be root maji, which is cognate with まじまじ (majimaji, staringly), 瞬ぐ (majirogu, to wink) + (me, eye; visually prominent feature), from the sense of eyes blinking nervously when having a straight face.[1][2][3] First attested in the Nise Monogatari, around 1639-1640.[4]

The kanji spelling is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓), from (true) + (face) + (eyes). Compare English true colors.

Pronunciation

  • (Irregular reading)
    • (Tokyo) じめ [màjímé] (Heiban – [0])[5]
    • IPA(key): [ma̠ʑime̞]

Adjective

()()() (majime) -na (adnominal ()()() (majime na), adverbial ()()() (majime ni))

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

Noun

()()() (majime) 

  1. seriousness
  2. honesty
Antonyms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
しん
Grade: 3
めん
Grade: 3
もく
Grade: 1
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
眞面目 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

Adjective

(しん)(めん)(もく) (shinmenmoku) -na (adnominal (しん)(めん)(もく) (shinmenmoku na), adverbial (しん)(めん)(もく) (shinmenmoku ni))

  1. actual
  2. sincere
Inflection

Noun

(しん)(めん)(もく) (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
Alternative spelling
眞面目 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

Adjective

(しん)(めん)(ぼく) (shinmenboku) -na (adnominal (しん)(めん)(ぼく) (shinmenboku na), adverbial (しん)(めん)(ぼく) (shinmenboku ni))

  1. actual
  2. sincere
Inflection

Noun

(しん)(めん)(ぼく) (shinmenboku) 

  1. actual value
  2. sincerity

References

  1. 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 真面目”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. 真面目/まじめ - Gogen Yurai Jiten (in Japanese)
  4. 真面目”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, Nihon Kokugo Daijiten) (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
  5. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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