How do you say "Really?" in Japanese?

Quick use

Use ほんとうですか (hontou desu ka) with friends or new people when you want a short natural response in conversation. Learn it as a ready-to-use line you can say smoothly.

Chunk or pattern

• This is a fixed phrase.
• Learn the whole line first instead of rebuilding it word by word.
• Once it feels automatic, it becomes much easier to use under pressure.

Helper words and endings

• ですか: polite question ending.

Practical note

Keep the line natural and light. In friendly conversation, simple often sounds better than over-explaining.