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.
He looks scary, but he's actually kind.
You shouldn't judge people by their appearance.
Similar to 見た目 but slightly more formal or written. Focuses on external appearance.
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.
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.
He is always neatly dressed.
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.
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.
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.
To make a good impression with your appearance, cleanliness is important.