# Genuine, authentic



## adexx

Hello,

How do you say "genuine/authentic" in Japanese, as in "You can experience an authentic local life experience" (such as, living like a real local).
If I'm not wrong, 本場 can be used for "authentic local food". So is it the right word to use here? Or 本格?

Thanks


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## DaylightDelight

adexx said:


> If I'm not wrong, 本場 can be used for "authentic local food".


Right.  本場 can be used when the locality is involved.
本格(的) is often used to describe the method/process:
i.e.
本格的なベトナム料理 = authentically cooked/prepared Vietnamese dish
本場のベトナム料理 = authentic Vietnamese dish


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## adexx

Thank you DaylightDelight san,

So in this case, which is correct (or common to say): 本場のローカル生活 or 本格的なローカル生活?


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## DaylightDelight

For "You can experience an authentic local life experience", I think I'd say 本場の生活(or 暮らし)を体験できます or 本格的な地元の生活(or 暮らし)を体験できます.
ローカル生活 sounds unnatural so I used 地元の生活 instead.
Also 本場 already includes the idea of locality so I omitted 地元 from the first one.

Actually I'm having a little problem expressing "local life" (in the sense of "living like a real local") in Japanese.
The term ローカルライフ seems to be somewhat commonly used these days, but I think it is used in the sense of the "country life" as opposed to the "urban life" so it is not appropriate in this case.


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## karlalou

adexx said:


> living like a real local


生活… How about 本格的な現地の生活?

I think 本場の sounds too much like about food such as 本場の味.
You can use 本格的 for wider variety of things to mean you really get into it.

Yeah, I think 地元 also works..
ローカル.. I don't know how they use it in Japan nowadays.


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## adexx

Thank you both!
Actually I wrote ローカル because it's simple to convert from English  I guess 現地 or 地元 should be used here.
Anyway, understood about the use of 本場・本格的, thanks.

Btw, as karlalou san said, usually I see 本場 associated with food/taste. In what other cases is 本場 commonly used? Just for my reference..


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## DaylightDelight

adexx said:


> In what other cases is 本場 commonly used? Just for my reference..


Just off the top of my head, 本場 is often used with traditional culture/arts.
本場のフラメンコ = genuine Flamenco performed in Spain, performed by Spanish performers or performed in Spanish style.
本場のジャズ = genuine Jazz (from New York or Cigago or wherever it is...)

Also 本場 as a noun is used in the sense of an origin, birth place or mecca of many things:
サンタクロースの本場 (=Finland)
アニメの本場(=Japan)
トムヤムクンの本場(=Vietnam)


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## frequency

adexx said:


> "authentic local food".


Yes, say 「本格的な地元の食べ物」

"Authentic local food" means like this


not like this


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## karlalou

adexx said:


> In what other cases is 本場 commonly used? Just for my reference..


本場 is a word for a place of a special product, or the main country or area of a particular culture. I think it needs to be about something specific and widely known.


> 「本場」は、ある物を主として、あるいは盛んに生産する土地をいう。また、「フラメンコの本場スペイン」「本場仕込みの腕前」のように、その物事が正式に、あるいは盛んに行われる場所にもいう。（類語例解辞典、小学館）


地元 is a residential area. New York, NY or a Tibetan town or any place is 地元 for the residents. We would say 私の地元では…, or 地元の人たちが歓迎してくれて…. 地元の生活 has a feel of down-to-earth everyday life.
現地 has a feel of closeness to nature or ethnic life style of such as Guam or a resort island. We would say 現地の人たちが歓迎してくれて…, but we won't say 私の現地では…. 現地の生活 might be seviour reality or maybe exciting stuff.


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## adexx

Thank you very much, it's all about the nuances I see.
勉強になりました！


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