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表向き (omotemuki) Japanese meaning: outward appearance | Kotomora
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表おもて
向む
き
の
理り
由ゆう
は
健けん
康こう
上じょう
の
問もん
題だい
だっ
た
が
、
本ほん
当とう
は
別べつ
の
事じ
情じょう
が
あっ
た
。
The ostensible reason was health problems, but there was actually another circumstance.
He outwardly maintained a calm facade.
Usage patterns 表おもて 向む きの 〈 事こと 〉 the official/ostensible ~ (reason, story, etc.)
The official reason is a transfer, but really it's because he turned down a promotion.
表おもて 向む きは 〈 事こと 〉 が 、 実じつ は 〈 事こと 〉 on the surface it's ~, but in reality it's ~
Related words 表向き describes how a situation is presented to the outside world, while 建前 specifically means the official principle or stance one states publicly, often contrasted with 本音 (true feelings).
表向き emphasizes the public appearance of a situation, while 名目 focuses on the nominal reason or title given for something, as in 名目上は社員だ.
表向き describes how something appears on the surface (possibly hiding a different reality), whereas 表立って focuses on whether an action is done openly or not.
Written forms 表おもて 向む き Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news word.
おもてむき Usage 1%
Etymology Compound of 表 (omote, 'front, surface') and 向き (muki, 'direction, orientation'). Literally 'facing the front', it came to mean the outward or public-facing aspect.
On the surface they get along, but in reality the two of them are at odds.
