Translation guide
How to express 'close one's eyes' in Japanese, covering literal eye-closing, turning a blind eye, and idiomatic uses.
To shut your eyelids.
The most common and neutral way to say 'close one's eyes'. Used in everyday speech and writing.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Close your eyes and relax.
Also means 'close one's eyes', often with a nuance of squeezing them shut or deliberately closing them. Slightly more casual than 目を閉じる.
I was scared and closed my eyes.
A single verb meaning 'to close one's eyes'. Often used in the phrase 目をつぶる. Can sound literary or emphatic when used alone.
She gently closed her eyes.
To ignore something wrong or pretend not to notice.
Literally 'pretend to see and not see'. The most natural way to say 'turn a blind eye' to wrongdoing.
He turned a blind eye to the injustice.
Can also mean 'turn a blind eye' or 'overlook' in a figurative sense. Often used when someone consciously ignores a fault.
Means 'to overlook' or 'to be lenient'. Similar to turning a blind eye but with a nuance of forgiveness or tolerance.
To deliberately ignore an unpleasant fact or reality.
To die peacefully.
A poetic euphemism for dying, similar to 'close one's eyes forever'.
He peacefully closed his eyes forever.
Both mean 'close one's eyes'. 目を閉じる is neutral and can be used in any context. 目をつぶる often implies a deliberate, tighter closing, and is more common in casual speech. 目をつぶる also has the figurative meaning 'turn a blind eye'.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
The child closed his eyes tightly in fear.
I'll turn a blind eye to your mistake this time.
Please overlook it since it's my first time.
She closed her eyes to the truth.