じっと

What it means

What does じっと mean? It denotes staying in one place or focusing attention with quiet persistence, conveying a state of stillness or steady concentration and is commonly used before verbs to express how one acts, such as looking intently or waiting patiently.

Main meanings

• motionless or still, often describing waiting or listening with patience
• fixed gaze or intense looking, with concentration
• stubborn endurance or steady, unmoving behavior in difficult situations

How to use it

Used as an adverb to modify verbs, indicating a sustained state of stillness or focused attention. It appears in both casual and formal Japanese, commonly with verbs like 見る, 待つ, and 立つ; it can describe physical stillness, mental concentration, or patient endurance in narrative and dialogue.