Translation guide
How to talk about the way someone looks, their outward aspect, or the impression they give based on their looks. Japanese often uses specific nouns and verbs depending on whether you mean physical looks, clothing/style, or the act of appearing somewhere.
Describing how someone looks in terms of their face, body, or overall physical appearance.
The most common and neutral word for 'appearance' or 'looks'. Used for both people and things.
彼は見た目が怖いけど、実は優しい。
He looks scary, but he's actually kind.
見た目で人を判断してはいけない。
You shouldn't judge people by their appearance.
Similar to 見た目 but slightly more formal or written. Focuses on external appearance.
外見にこだわりすぎるのはよくない。
It's not good to be too obsessed with your appearance.
Refers to one's looks or physical features, often used in formal contexts like job requirements or beauty standards.
容姿端麗な人
a person of fine appearance
Talking about someone's appearance in terms of their outfit, grooming, or overall presentation.
Refers to one's dress, grooming, and overall personal appearance. Often used when commenting on how neat or appropriate someone looks.
彼はいつも身なりがきちんとしている。
He is always neatly dressed.
面接では身なりも重要だ。
Appearance is also important in an interview.
Specifically means 'clothing' or 'attire', but often used to talk about someone's appearance in terms of what they are wearing.
Casual word for 'appearance' or 'look', often referring to someone's style or outfit. Can also mean 'state' or 'condition'.
Referring to the moment someone appears or becomes visible, often in a dramatic or formal sense.
Means 'appearance' in the sense of entering a scene, coming on stage, or making an entrance. Used for characters in stories, celebrities, etc.
主人公の登場シーンはかっこよかった。
The hero's appearance scene was cool.
More like 'emergence' or 'appearance' of something that wasn't there before, often used for supernatural beings, rare animals, or abstract things.
Talking about the impression or aura someone gives off based on how they look.
Means 'impression'. Often used with 見た目 to talk about the impression one's appearance gives.
第一印象は見た目で決まることが多い。
First impressions are often decided by appearance.
A common phrase meaning 'impression from appearance'.
見た目の印象を良くするために、清潔感が大切だ。
To make a good impression with your appearance, cleanliness is important.
見た目 is the most common and general word for physical appearance. 外見 is slightly more formal and often used in written language. 身なり specifically refers to how someone is dressed and groomed, not their facial features or body shape.
出現 means 'appearance' as in 'emergence' or 'showing up', like a ghost or a rare animal. It cannot be used to describe how someone looks.
服装がだらしないと印象が悪い。
If your clothes are sloppy, it gives a bad impression.
そんな格好で出かけるの？
Are you going out looking like that?
突然幽霊が出現した。
A ghost suddenly appeared.