外がい見けん

also: そとみ

が

い

け

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun

outward appearance; looks

Refers to how someone or something looks from the outside; neutral term for physical appearance.

外がい見けんだけで人ひとを判はん断だんしてはいけない。
You shouldn't judge people by their appearance alone.
この建たて物ものは外がい見けんは古ふるいが、中なかはとてもきれいだ。
This building looks old from the outside, but the inside is very clean.

See all 56 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

外がい見けんで〈人ひと〉を判はん断だんするto judge someone by their appearance
外がい見けんで人ひとを判はん断だんしてはいけない。
You shouldn't judge people by their appearance.
外がい見けんを気きにするto be concerned about one's appearance
彼かれは外がい見けんをとても気きにしている。
He is very concerned about his appearance.
外がい見けんにこだわるto be particular about one's appearance
最さい近きんの若わか者ものは外がい見けんにこだわる傾けい向こうがある。
Young people these days tend to be particular about their appearance.
外がい見けんが変かわるfor one's appearance to change
髪かみ型がたを変かえたら外がい見けんがずいぶん変かわった。
His appearance changed a lot after he changed his hairstyle.

Kanji

外outside
見see, hopes, chances

Related words· 12

見みた目めN2
外見 is a neutral, slightly formal term for outward appearance, while 見た目 is more casual and often expresses a personal, subjective impression.
外がい観かんN1
外見 usually describes how a person or thing looks, whereas 外観 is more formal and typically used for the exterior of buildings, products, or objects.
容よう姿しN1
外見 is a general, everyday word for appearance, while 容姿 is a more literary term specifically referring to a person's looks and figure.
風ふう貌ぼう
外見 simply means how something looks from outside, while 風貌 refers more specifically to a person's overall appearance and bearing, often with a literary tone.

Show 8 more

体てい裁さいN1
外見 is a neutral word for outward appearance, while 体裁 carries a nuance of concern for how something is perceived or judged.
見みかけN2
外見 is a more formal, objective word for outward appearance, while 見かけ often implies a contrast between how something looks and how it really is.
見みてくれ
外見 is a formal, neutral term for outward appearance, whereas 見てくれ is casual and often implies the appearance is merely superficial.
ビジュアル
外見 is a more formal, neutral term for physical appearance, whereas ビジュアル carries a modern, media/design-industry nuance.
ルックス
外見 is a formal, analytical term for external appearance, whereas ルックス is casual slang focused on how attractive someone looks.
表ひょう面めんN3
外見 focuses on the visible appearance of a person or thing, while 表面 in this sense stresses the superficial layer that may hide a different reality.
身みだしなみN1
外見 is a neutral word for how someone looks overall, while 身だしなみ specifically implies effort to look neat and socially acceptable.
姿すがたN3
外見 stresses surface impression or outward looks, while 姿 can also describe posture, silhouette, or a whole scene of appearance.

Opposites

内ない面めんN1
外見 refers to a person's outward appearance, while 内面 refers to their inner self or character.
本ほん体たいN2
本体 refers to the true inner substance or nature of something, while 外見 refers only to its outward appearance.

Don't confuse with

外がい面めんN1
外見 usually refers to a person's or thing's visual appearance, while 外面 (がいめん) can also mean this but additionally has the そとづら reading for one's put-on manner toward others.

Word family

外がい見けん上じょう
outward; superficial; external; apparent

Written forms

外見Usage100%
- がいけん
  Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and general use.
- そとみ
そとみ
Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard or dialectal.

Etymology

Compound of 外 (outside) and 見 (seeing, appearance). The reading がいけん is the standard Sino-Japanese on'yomi; そとみ is a less common kun'yomi-based reading.