Translation guide
English 'observing' covers watching carefully, noticing, monitoring, and following rules or customs. This guide organizes the most useful Japanese expressions by these core meanings.
The teacher was observing the students' behavior.
Observing birds is my hobby.
Implies watching over someone or something with care or concern, often without interfering.
Parents are observing their child's growth.
Means to look at something carefully and unhurriedly. Casual and common in daily conversation.
Please observe the painting carefully.
To notice something, often incidentally.
To watch something continuously to check for changes.
Used for surveillance, monitoring, or keeping under observation, often with a sense of vigilance.
The police are observing the suspect.
The system is constantly observing the network.
To keep watch, stand guard, or be on the lookout. More active than passive observation.
To obey or adhere to something like a rule, tradition, or agreement.
The standard verb for 'observe' in the sense of following rules, laws, promises, or customs.
You must observe traffic rules.
To comply with or follow orders, instructions, or rules. Slightly more formal than 守る.
Formal term for strict compliance, often used in legal or official contexts.
To observe a holiday, anniversary, or special event.
To say something as a comment or observation.
観察する is neutral, systematic observation (science, study). 見守る implies caring, protective watching. 監視する is surveillance or monitoring, often with a negative or security-related nuance.
English 'observe' can mean both 'watch' and 'follow a rule'. In Japanese, these are completely different verbs. Use 守る or 従う for rules, not 観察する.
Please let me know if you observe anything unusual.
街で有名人を目にした。
I observed a celebrity in town.
Medical term for 'follow-up observation' or 'watchful waiting'. Often used as a noun.
Let's observe the progress for a while.
誰かが見張っているかもしれない。
Someone might be observing us.
He always observes punctuality.
規則に従って行動してください。
Please act in observance of the rules.
Observing laws and regulations is a corporate obligation.
They observed National Foundation Day by holding a ceremony.
The expert observed some issues.