本音 and 建前: true feelings and a stated principle
Compare 本音 for true feelings with 建前 for a public stance or pretext. Keep unknown feelings unknown, and distinguish an equal opportunity to speak from proof that everyone actually spoke.
Wanting to hear feelings and being unable to tell them
本音 (ほんね) concerns true feelings or a real intention. 「遠慮せずに本音を話してほしい。」 means “Please speak honestly without holding back.” It expresses a wish to hear the other person's true feelings, rather than reporting that those feelings have already been shared.
「笑顔の裏に隠れた彼の本音が分からない。」 means “I cannot tell his true feelings hidden behind the smile.” The information given is that the feelings are unknown. The smile does not establish whether he is pleased, dissatisfied, or feeling something else.
A stated principle and a practical plan
建前 (たてまえ) includes a public stance or pretext. 「建前では全員が平等に発言できることになっている。」 means “In principle, everyone is allowed an equal opportunity to speak.” It states a principle about permission, not a completed event in which everyone spoke.
「立派な建前より、実際にできる案を聞きたい。」 means “I want to hear a practical plan rather than a plausible pretext.” The comparison concerns a plausible pretext and a plan that could actually be carried out. Wanting to hear such a plan does not establish that one has already been presented.
Leaving agreement and uncertainty possible
For 本音, consider the person's actual feelings or wishes; for 建前, consider the stated principle or justification. These can differ, but they are not required to be opposites. A person's true feelings can also agree with the position they state publicly.
Keep unknown feelings unknown, and distinguish permission to speak from actual speech. This comparison depends on the information in each sentence. It does not require a general claim that a particular society or group always conceals its true feelings.
What is established by the principle that everyone may speak equally and the statement that someone's feelings behind a smile are unknown?
Show the answer and why
The first establishes a stated principle of equal opportunity to speak; the second establishes uncertainty about the person's true feelings. Neither confirms that everyone actually spoke or identifies the emotion behind the smile.