目め印じるし

め

じ

る

し

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

mark; identifying sign

A visible mark or sign used so that something can be quickly recognized, found, or distinguished.

自じ分ぶんの傘かさだと分わかるように、赤あかいリボンを目め印

じるし

に

つけ

た

。

I put a red ribbon on my umbrella as a mark so I could tell it was mine.

箱はこの側そく面めんに小ちいさな目め印じるしを書かいておいた。

I wrote a small mark on the side of the box.

2

noun

landmark; guide

Used for an object, building, sign, or other visible point that serves as a guide when giving directions or finding a place. Common in the pattern Xを目印に.

駅えき前まえの時計とけい台だいを目め印じるしに来きてください。
Use the clock tower in front of the station as a landmark when you come.
青あおい看かん板ばんが店みせの目め印じるしです。
The blue sign is the landmark for the shop.

3

noun

trademark

archaic

Archaic Edo-period use referring to a distinctive commercial mark, roughly like a trademark in modern terms.

江え戸ど時じ代だいには、商しょう家かの「目め印じるし」が今いまでいう商しょう標ひょうのように使つかわれた。
In Edo-period usage, a shop's mejirushi was used like what we would now call a trademark.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を目め印じるしにするto use something as a landmark/guide
あの赤あかい屋や根ねを目め印じるしにしてください。
Please use that red roof as a landmark.
〈場ば所しょ〉に目め印じるしをつけるto put a mark at a place
迷まよわないように道みちに目め印じるしをつけた。
I put a mark on the road so I wouldn't get lost.
〈物もの〉が目め印じるしになるfor something to serve as a landmark
大おおきな木きがこの辺あたりの目め印じるしになっている。
The big tree serves as a landmark around here.
目め印じるしを立たてるto set up a marker
工こう事じ現げん場ばに目め印じるしの旗はたを立たてた。
They put up a marker flag at the construction site.

Kanji

目eye, class, look
印stamp, seal, mark
標signpost, seal, mark

Related words

印しるしN3sense 1
印 is a general word for any mark or symbol, while 目印 specifically refers to a mark used so something can be spotted or recognized.
標ひょう識しきN2sense 2
標識 refers to an official posted sign like a road sign, whereas 目印 can be any casual mark or landmark someone uses for guidance.
ランドマーク sense 2
ランドマーク is a borrowed word for a famous, large-scale landmark, while 目印 can be any small or ordinary marker used for finding one's way.
マーカー
目印 is the native Japanese word for a sign or marker used to indicate a spot, while マーカー is the loanword often used for a physical marking object or device.
目め当あてN1
目印 is a mark deliberately placed for identification, while 目当て can be any natural landmark used for orientation.

Don't confuse with

目もく標ひょうN3
目標 is written with the same kanji as 目印 but is read もくひょう and means 'goal' or 'target', a completely different meaning from 目印's 'identifying mark'.
目め隠かくし
目印 means a landmark or identifying mark, not a blindfold or screen, so it is easily confused with 目隠し due to the shared 目 kanji.

Word family

検けん索さく目め印じるし
hashtag

Built from

目め+印しるし

Written forms

目め印じるしUsage91%
Standard and common spelling for めじるし.
目めじるしUsage8%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; understandable and attested, but less standard than 目印.
めじるしUsage1%
目め標じるし
Attested spelling for this reading, but in modern Japanese 目標 is normally read もくひょう and means 'goal' or 'target'; avoid this spelling for ordinary めじるし.

Etymology

The standard spelling combines 目, associated with seeing or attention, and 印, 'mark' or 'sign.' This is a transparent spelling explanation rather than a precise historical derivation.