瞳ひとみ

ひ

と

み

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

noun

pupil of the eye

Refers to the dark central part of the eye. In more technical or medical contexts, 瞳孔 is the more precise term.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の瞳が輝くのひとみがひかるsomeone's eyes sparkle/shine
彼かの女じょの瞳ひとみは星ほしのように輝かがやいていた。
Her eyes sparkled like stars.
〈人ひと〉の瞳ひとみを見みつめるto gaze into someone's eyes
彼かれは彼かの女じょの瞳ひとみをじっと見みつめた。
He gazed steadily into her eyes.
瞳ひとみが潤うるむone's eyes well up (with tears)
その話はなしを聞きいて彼かの女じょの瞳ひとみが潤うるんだ。
Her eyes welled up when she heard the story.
〈形けい容よう詞し〉瞳ひとみeyes described by color or quality (e.g. blue, clear eyes)
その子こは青あおい瞳ひとみをしていた。
That child had blue eyes.

Expressions

瞳ひとみを凝こらすstrain one's eyes; stare intently
君きみの瞳ひとみに乾かん杯ぱいhere's looking at you, kid

Kanji

瞳pupil (of eye)
眸pupil of the eye
睛pupil of the eye

Related words

目めN5sense 2
目 is the plain, everyday word for eyes, while 瞳 adds a poetic or descriptive nuance about their appearance or expression.
瞳どう孔こう sense 1
瞳孔 is the precise anatomical term for the pupil, whereas 瞳 is the more common, less technical word used in everyday and descriptive language.
眼まなこ
瞳 usually refers to the pupil or poetically to the eyes themselves, with a softer, more romantic tone than 眼（まなこ）, which is simply a literary word for the eye.

Don't confuse with

眼差まなざしN1sense 2
眼差し means the look or gaze someone gives, describing how they look at something, while 瞳 refers to the physical eyes themselves.

Written forms

瞳ひとみUsage85%
Standard and common kanji spelling for both the anatomical pupil and the more general sense of a person's eyes.
ひとみUsage11%
眸ひとみUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; mostly useful for recognition in literary or stylized writing.
ヒトミUsage1%
睛ひとみUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a practical spelling for ordinary writing.

Etymology

The reading ひとみ is a native Japanese reading conventionally written with 瞳, a kanji associated with the pupil or eye. The exact historical derivation of the Japanese word is uncertain.