Word
こっそり
Meaning in Englishstealthily, secretly
Word context
What it means
It means doing something secretly or stealthily, without others noticing. In everyday usage, it conveys a discreet, almost unnoticeable manner that keeps actions out of sight.
Main meanings
- secretly, stealthily — kossori
- in a discreet, almost unnoticeable way — kossori
- used in casual or lighthearted contexts to imply secrecy without seriousness — kossori
How to use it
Used in casual conversation and narrative to indicate performing an action without others noticing; commonly attaches to verbs such as こっそり抜け出す or こっそり覗く, and is typical of informal contexts rather than formal writing.
Variants and close terms
- ひそかに — hisoka ni
- 秘密裏に — himitsuuri ni
- こっそりと — kossori to
Etymology
Onomatopoeic gitaigo/giongo form that conveys stealthy motion; its kana spelling signals a casual, spoken tone and a lack of kanji representation, highlighting use as a pure mimetic adverb.
Word class
adverb (副詞)