かすみ
Meanings
Only when written 霞
Natural haze or mist, especially the soft haze associated with spring scenery. Among kanji spellings, 霞 is the normal one for this sense, though kana かすみ is also common.
See also: 霧
A haze hangs over the spring mountains.
A distant island can be seen beyond the mist.
dimness of sight; blurred vision
Used for visual dimness or blurriness, as in 目のかすみ. The kanji 翳み and 翳 are attested but uncommon; kana is the safest everyday spelling.
Recently, the blurriness in my vision has been bothering me.
It feels as if my eyes are clouded, and the letters are hard to read.
Usage patterns
- 霞が立つhaze rises/forms
Haze is rising at the foot of the mountain.
- 目にかすみがかかるone's vision to become blurred/hazy
When I'm tired, my vision looks blurred, as if covered in haze.
- 霞がかかるto be veiled in haze
The distant mountains are veiled in haze, their outlines blurred.