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目掛ける (めがける) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
ichidan verb, transitive verb
aim at ; target
usually written using kana alone
Often used in the pattern noun+めがけて, meaning 'aiming at' or 'toward' a specific target. The verb itself is transitive and takes a direct object marked with を.
The children ran toward the goal.
Written forms 目め 掛が ける Usage 6%
Kanji spelling; usually written in kana.
めがける Usage 79%
The most common spelling; the word is usually written using kana alone.
目め がける Usage 15%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; also less common than pure kana.
Etymology Compound of 目 (eye, target) + 掛ける (to set, to direct). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word literally suggests 'setting one's eyes on' something.