Secret in Japanese: himitsu or naisho, explained based on their kanji

How to say “secret” in Japanese

Japanese people would say “himitsu” or “naisho”. Both mean ‘secret’ in Japanese, but are not the same. In this blog post, I will explain these two words in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I will explain their difference. My explanations would help Japanese learners to say “secret” properly in Japanese. Let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “himitsu”
• “Himitsu” in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “this is a secret” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “himitsu”
• Definition and meanings of “naisho”
• Naishou in Buddhism
  • Example #3: how to use “naisho”
  • Example #4: “naisho” cannot take over “himitsu”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “himitsu”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “himitsu”.

• himitsu – 秘密 (ひみつ) : a noun meaning ‘secret’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this can also mean ‘mystery’ or ‘secrecy’. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Its definition and meaning(s) are simple and clear, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

“Himitsu” in kanji

Below are the kanji characters used in “himitsu”.

• 秘 : a kanji character widely used to express a secret, mystery, or something kept hidden.
• 密 : a kanji character often used to express a secret, something private, or something tightly sealed.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “himitsu” consists of the two similar kanji and literally means ‘secret’. Its kanji concept is completely in line with its meaning.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “himitsu” through the detailed kanji check above.

Japanese people use “himitsu” to refer to a secret itself or a state in which something is kept secret. Let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “this is a secret” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kore – これ : a demonstrative pronoun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used to say “this” in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after “kore” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “himitsu” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “himitsu”. In this example, it refers to a secret itself. When we want to say “secret” in Japanese, this word would be a good choice.

Example #2: another usage of “himitsu”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• oishisa – 美味しさ (おいしさ) : a noun meaning ‘good taste’ or ‘deliciousness’ in Japanese. This is the noun form of the i-adjective, “oishii“, which means ‘delicious’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally the preceding noun works to modify the meaning of the following noun. In this example, this joins “oishisa” and “himitsu”. The formed phrase literally means ‘a secret of deliciousness’, but it has been translated as ‘a secret ingredient’.
• gyūnyū – 牛乳 (ぎゅうにゅう) : a noun meaning ‘milk’ in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “himitsu”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “oishisa no himitsu”, which corresponds well to the English expression, “a secret ingredient”.

So far, I’ve explained “himitsu” and how to use it through the example sentences. Next, then, let me explain the other one: “naisho”.

Definition and meanings of “naisho”

Below are the definition and meanings of “naisho”.

• naisho – 内緒 (ないしょ) : a noun meaning ‘secrecy’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this can also mean ‘secret’ or ‘privacy’.

This word originally came from the Buddhism word, “naishou”. “内証” is its kanji expression. The first kanji character, “内”, is common in both expressions and means ‘inside’. The second kanji character, “証”, means ‘proof’ or ‘evidence’. So, “naishou” literally means ‘proof inside’. This concept seems to be a bit different from what “naisho” actually means. To understand “naisho” more clearly, let me explain some background of “naishou” in Buddhism. Sometimes, checking word origins is more helpful than checking kanji characters in detail.

Naishou in Buddhism

The Buddhism word, “naishou – 内証 (ないしょう)”, refers to a state in which someone has the complete understanding of Buddhism in his/her mind. It is very religious and hard to understand. Yet, we can at least understand that that state is a religious secret kept hidden from others. This is the origin of “naisho – 内緒 (ないしょ)” and the reason it can mean ‘secrecy’ even though its kanji expression was changed. And also, this is the reason it focuses more on a state in which something is kept secret rather than a secret itself.

Then, let me explain how to use “naisho” through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to use “naisho”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ni – に : a case particle used to indicate a state which someone or something is in after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “naisho” to indicate the state which “the secret ingredient” is in.
• suru – する : a verb meaning ‘to do’ or ‘to perform’ in Japanese. Its meaning can vary widely depending on the context. In the example, this is used to mean ‘to keep’.

This is a typical usage of “naisho”. In the example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “naisho ni suru”, which means ‘to keep [something] a secret’. Again, but this word focuses more on a state in which something is kept hidden rather than a secret itself. So, it fits well with the context in this example sentence.

“Naisho” can also refer to a secret itself, but this usage is not always work well. Let me explain this point in detail through the example sentence below.

Example #4: “naisho” cannot take over “himitsu”

The second example sentence above is paraphrased with “naisho”. Honestly speaking, this sentence sounds weird. “Gyūnyū” is a secret ingredient itself, not a state. So, “naisho” cannot work well as a part of the subject in this sentence.

When “himitsu” refers to a secret itself, “naisho” cannot take over its role well. Of course it highly depends on the situation and context, but “naisho” basically focuses more on a state. So it can sound weird when it is forced to refer to a secret.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained “himitsu” and “naisho” in detail. And also, I’ve explained how they work through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• himitsu – 秘密 (ひみつ) : a noun meaning ‘secret’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this can also means ‘mystery’ or ‘secrecy’. This can also work as a plural noun. This focuses more on a secret itself.
• naisho – 内緒 (ないしょ) : a noun meaning ‘secrecy’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, this can also mean ‘secret’ or ‘privacy’. This word focuses more on a state in which something is kept secret. In many cases, this cannot take over the role of “himitsu” referring to a secret itself.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.