Meccha vs. Totemo vs. Honto Ni: Meaning & Usage
Meccha (めっちゃ/滅茶), Totemo (とても), and Honto Ni (ほんとに/本当に) are Japanese synonyms used to emphasize an adjective or an adverb.
In other words, these phrases are interchangeable, but unlike Totemo and Honto Ni, Meccha is slang, so you should not use it in formal conversations.
Meccha (めっちゃ) vs. Totemo (とても) vs. Honto Ni (本当に)
Originating from Mecha Kucha (滅茶苦茶) or Mecha Mecha (滅茶滅茶), Meccha is a slang word for “very” in English, often used by young generations (both males and females).
Meanwhile, Totemo and Honto Ni are formal phrases you can use in any situation. As I wrote in this article, the literal meaning of Honto Ni is really, while Totemo is very.
Usage
As previously mentioned, you can use Meccha (pronunciation), Totemo (pronunciation), and Honto Ni (pronunciation) interchangeably, depending on the situation, like below.
- めっちゃ嬉しい (Meccha Ureshii) meaning Very happy (casual/informal), とても嬉しい (Totemo Ureshii): Very happy (formal/anytime), 本当に嬉しい (Honto Ni Ureshii): Really happy (formal/anytime)
- めっちゃ悲しい (Meccha Kanashii) meaning Very sad (casual/informal), とても悲しい (Totemo Kanashii): Very sad (formal/anytime), 本当に悲しい (Honto Ni Kanashii): Really sad (formal/anytime)
- めっちゃ凄い (Meccha Sugoi) meaning Very amazing (casual/informal), とても凄い: Very amazing (formal/anytime), 本当に凄い: Really amazing (formal/anytime)
By the way, Japanese youth frequently use Meccha among friends.
(Reference Page: Weblio めっちゃ (滅茶) )
