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Japanese frequency list

No. 1,717 in Japanese

ほんの

"ほんの" means "just," "only," or "mere."

In a sentence

  • ほんの少しだけ食べました。

    I just ate a little bit.

    In this sentence, 'ほんの' emphasizes the small quantity of what was eaten, showing modesty or triviality.

  • 私はほんの子供の頃、絵を描くのが好きでした。

    When I was just a child, I liked drawing.

    In this sentence, 'ほんの' is used to indicate a short period of time or simplicity, minimizing the importance of the timeframe.

  • 彼はほんの冗談として言ったんだ。

    He said it just as a joke.

    Here, 'ほんの' is used to convey that the joke was trivial or not meant seriously.

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