Really? in Japanese

本当ですか

In kana only: ほんとうですか

hontou desu ka

polite

What it literally says

is it true

Japanese politeness is mostly built out of phrases that stopped being literal a long time ago. Knowing what is underneath is the difference between repeating a sound and knowing what you said.

The same thing, said differently

Japanese changes shape with the distance between the people speaking. These are the same meaning at other settings.

casual

本当？

hontou?

When to use it

Genuine surprise. Said flatly it can sound like doubt, so keep the tone up.

Next in Reactions and Compliments

That's a reliefよかったです
That's interesting面白いですね
That's lovely素敵ですね
That's a shame残念ですね
Well doneお疲れ様でした
That's amazingすごいですね

What it literally says

The same thing, said differently

When to use it

Next in Reactions and Compliments

The rest of the phrasebook