Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

寝ぼけ眼 (ねぼけまなこ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

寝ねぼけ眼まなこ

ね

ぼ

け

ま

な

こ

Meanings

1

noun

sleepy eyes; drowsy look

Describes eyes that are still heavy with sleep, often right after waking up. Used as a noun.

朝あさ、寝ねぼけ眼まなこで朝ちょう食しょくを食たべた。
In the morning, I ate breakfast with sleepy eyes.
彼かれは寝ねぼけ眼まなこをこすりながら起おきてきた。
He got up, rubbing his drowsy eyes.

Written forms

寝ねぼけ眼まなこ
Standard kanji spelling using 眼 for 'eye'.
寝ねぼけまなこ
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; common in casual writing.
寝ね惚ぼけ眼まなこ
Uses the less common 惚 kanji; rarely seen.

Kanji

寝lie down, sleep, rest
眼eyeball
惚fall in love with, admire, grow senile

Similar words

寝ねぼける
Verb meaning 'to be half-asleep' or 'to talk in one's sleep'; 寝ぼけ眼 is the noun form describing the eyes in that state.
眠ねむい
Adjective meaning 'sleepy'; 寝ぼけ眼 focuses on the appearance of the eyes rather than the feeling of sleepiness.

Etymology

Compound of 寝ぼけ (continuative form of 寝ぼける, 'to be half-asleep') and 眼 (まなこ, 'eye'). The reading ねとぼけまなこ is a rare variant.