Japanese word

真相

Pronunciation

Romajishinsō

Meaning

  • nountruth

Example

事件の真相がわかりました。ji ken no shin sō ga wa ka ri ma shi ta

I learned the truth about the case.

Illustration for 真相 (truth)

More examples

調査が進むにつれて、事故の真相が少しずつ明らかになりました。chō sa ga susu mu ni tsu re te ji ko no shin sō ga suko shi zu tsu aki ra ka ni na ri ma shi ta

As the investigation progressed, the truth about the accident gradually became clear.

Core concept

Points to the underlying reality of a matter rather than the partial information visible at first.

Common phrases

  • 真相がわかるshin sō ga wa ka ru

    learn the truth

  • 真相を知るshin sō o shi ru

    know the truth

  • 真相に迫るshin sō ni sema ru

    get closer to the truth

  • 真相を明らかにするshin sō o aki ra ka ni su ru

    reveal the truth

Similar words

真実shinjitsu: What is true about a matter, whether or not it has been discovered.
事実jijitsu: A real event or condition that can be confirmed as true.

Definition in Japanese

隠されていた事実を含む、物事の本当のありさま。kaku sa re te i ta ji jitsu o fuku mu mono goto no hon tō no a ri sa ma

Word origin

真相 (shinsō) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 真 (shin, "true") and 相 (sō, "appearance or aspect"), meaning the true aspect of a matter.

Usage tips

  • 真相 (shinsō) commonly appears in reports and conversations when people distinguish what actually happened from an initial impression.

Other meanings

  • real situationnoun

Word lists with this word