Translation guide
How to talk about 'one's eyes' in Japanese, including the physical organ, gaze, expression, and idiomatic uses.
Referring to the physical organ of sight.
The standard word for 'eye' or 'eyes'. Japanese often does not distinguish singular/plural, so 目 can mean one eye or both eyes depending on context.
目が痛いです。
My eyes hurt.
She has big eyes.
Explicitly means 'both eyes'. Used when you need to emphasize both, or in medical/technical contexts.
Please open both eyes.
Means 'one eye'. Used when referring to a single eye specifically.
To close one eye.
Talking about where someone is looking, or the direction of their eyes.
Means 'gaze' or 'line of sight'. Used for the direction someone is looking, or the feeling of being watched.
Literally 'to turn one's eyes to'. Means to look toward something, or to pay attention to something.
He turned his eyes to the outside of the window.
Similar to 目を向ける, meaning to direct one's gaze toward something.
Describing the emotion or expression visible in someone's eyes.
The look in one's eyes; the expression of the eyes. Often used with adjectives like 鋭い (sharp) or 優しい (gentle).
He has sharp eyes.
The look in her eyes was scary.
Literally 'facial expression of the eyes'. A more explicit way to talk about the emotion shown in the eyes.
You can tell someone's feelings from the expression in their eyes.
Common idioms and expressions involving 'eyes'.
Literally 'cannot take one's eyes off'. Means something is so captivating or important that you must keep watching.
I can't take my eyes off this drama.
Literally 'to pass one's eyes through'. Means to look over a document or text quickly, to skim.
Literally 'to enter one's eyes'. Means to catch sight of something, or for something to be visible.
Literally 'to wake one's eyes'. Means to wake up, or figuratively to come to one's senses.
Literally 'eyes spin'. Means to be dizzy or extremely busy.
In Japanese, possessive pronouns like 'my', 'your', 'his' are often omitted when they are clear from context. For example, 'My eyes hurt' is simply 目が痛い (めがいたい), not 私の目が痛い, unless you need to emphasize whose eyes.
The kanji 目 is standard for 'eye'. The variant 眼 (also read め) is sometimes used in literary or technical contexts, but 目 is preferred in everyday writing.
She glanced at the clock.
書類に目を通してください。
Please look over the documents.
その看板が目に入った。
That sign caught my eye.
朝早く目を覚ました。
I woke up early in the morning.
忙しくて目が回る。
I'm so busy I'm dizzy.