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Words Kanji Guides About

打ち明ける (うちあける) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

打うち明あける

う

ち

あ

け

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

confide; reveal; open up

Used when someone shares a secret, true feelings, or a personal matter they had been keeping inside. Often implies a sense of relief or trust.

彼かの女じょは親しん友ゆうに悩なやみを打うち明あけた。
She confided her worries to her best friend.
思おもい

切き

っ

て

本ほん

音ね

を

打う

ち

明あ

け

て

み

たら

、

気き

持も

ち

が

楽らく

に

なっ

た

。

When I finally opened up and told my true feelings, I felt relieved.

Written forms

打うち明あけるUsage90%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
うちあけるUsage7%
打うち明あけるUsage4%
Less common variant without the okurigana ち; learners should prefer 打ち明ける.

Kanji

打strike, hit, knock
明bright, light

Similar words

告こく白はくする
告白する is more formal and often used for confessing love, crimes, or official statements. 打ち明ける is more personal and emotional, implying a private, heartfelt disclosure.
明あかす
明かす means to reveal or disclose a fact or secret, but it is less emotional and can be used for objective information. 打ち明ける emphasizes the act of opening up about personal matters.

Etymology

Compound of 打ち (uchi, prefix adding emphasis or a sense of 'strikingly') and 明ける (akeru, 'to open'). Literally 'to open up forcefully', referring to revealing one's inner thoughts.