Word
目付き
Meaning in Englishlook, expression of the eyes, eyes
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
目付き means the look or expression formed by the eyes; it refers to the visible impression produced by a person’s gaze, not to the eyes themselves.
Main meanings
- primary meaning: the look or expression conveyed by the eyes
- nuances: mood or attitude inferred from the eyes, such as suspicion, warmth, hostility
- collocations: common phrases like 目つきが悪い and 目つきが鋭い
- contextual use: can indicate character or emotion in prose or conversation
How to use it
Used to describe the look in a person’s eyes and the mood it conveys; commonly appears in narrative descriptions and casual conversation; typically with が or の to mark the subject and with adjectives such as 鋭い or 優しい to specify the impression.
Variants and close terms
- 眼差し (manazashi) — gaze
- 視線 (shisen) — line of sight or glance
- 表情 (hyōjō) — facial expression
- 目つきが悪い (metsuki ga warui) — a harsh look; 目つきが優しい (metsuki ga yasashii) — a gentle look
Composition
- 目: eye
- 付き: attached; suffix indicating possession or state
- Overall: expresses the state or appearance of the eyes and what that appearance communicates
Etymology
metsuki is built from 目 meaning eye and 付き from 付く meaning attached/with; the noun form indicates the state of looking, and the pronunciation combines the components as me + tsuki to produce metsuki.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
交付
koufu
delivering, furnishing (with copies)
N1
言付け
kotozuke
to leave a message
N1
取り付ける
toritsukeru
to furnish, to install; to get someone's agreement
N1
名付ける
nazukeru
to name
N1
一目
ichimoku
a glance, a look, a glimpse
N1
受け付ける
uketsukeru
to be accepted, to receive (an application)
N1
思い付き
omoitsuki
plan, idea, suggestion
N1
顔付き
kaotsuki
facial expression
N1
体付き
karadatsuki
body build, figure