目 — Eye | JP Notes

Meaning

目 means eye — and it looks like one. In ancient oracle bone script, the character appeared as an oval with a horizontal line through the middle, representing the pupil inside the eye socket. Over centuries, the form was rotated 90 degrees and the strokes straightened, producing the compact rectangle used today.

目 covers more ground than just the body part. It can mean a perspective or viewpoint, a mesh or hole in a net or fabric (the openings resemble tiny eyes), and — very commonly in everyday speech — an ordinal suffix: 一番目 is "the first," 二番目 "the second," and so on.

Five strokes. Grade 1. 目 is among the first kanji Japanese children encounter at school. It also functions as its own radical (部首, bushu), forming the visual core of characters tied to sight: 見 (to see), 眠 (to sleep), and 眼 (eyeball).

In Sino-Vietnamese, this character is read MỤC. It appears in everyday Vietnamese words — "mục tiêu" (目標, goal) and "mục đích" (目的, purpose) — a trace of the shared Chinese roots running through both languages.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

目 has two on'yomi readings: モク (MOKU) and ボク (BOKU). Both trace back to ancient Chinese pronunciation and appear mainly in compound words (熟語, jukugo).

モク (MOKU) is the dominant reading, common in formal and written contexts:

目的もくてき (mokuteki) — purpose, objective, goal
目標もくひょう (mokuhyō) — target, aim, goal
目次もくじ (mokuji) — table of contents
注目ちゅうもく (chūmoku) — attention, notice, spotlight

ボク (BOKU) is rare, surviving in just a handful of words:

面目めんぼく (menboku) — honor, face, dignity (also read めんもく)

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

The kun'yomi readings — め (me) and ま (ma) — are native Japanese words, used when 目 stands alone or combines with other native-origin elements.

め (me) is the everyday reading:

目め (me) — eye (standalone)
目薬めぐすり (megusuri) — eye drops
目玉めだま (medama) — eyeball; a sale's star item
一番目いちばんめ (ichibanme) — the first (ordinal use)

ま (ma) appears in a smaller set of words, often older in origin:

目蓋まぶた (mabuta) — eyelid

Common Words & Compounds

目 turns up across a wide range of everyday Japanese. Here are key compounds grouped by meaning.

Body and Vision:

目め (me) — eye
目玉めだま (medama) — eyeball
目蓋まぶた (mabuta) — eyelid
目薬めぐすり (megusuri) — eye drops
目線めせん (mesen) — line of sight, gaze, perspective

Goals and Purpose:

目的もくてき (mokuteki) — purpose, objective
目標もくひょう (mokuhyō) — target, goal
目指すめざす (mezasu) — to aim for, to strive toward

Attention and Awareness:

注目ちゅうもく (chūmoku) — attention, notice
目立つめだつ (medatsu) — to stand out, to be conspicuous
見目みめ (mime) — appearance, looks

Ordinal and Structural Use:

一番目いちばんめ (ichibanme) — the first
二番目にばんめ (nibanme) — the second
目次もくじ (mokuji) — table of contents

Expressions and Idioms:

面目めんもく (menmoku) — honor, face, dignity
目上めうえ (meue) — one's superior, elder
目下めした (meshita) — one's subordinate; also read もっか meaning "currently"

Example Sentences

彼女かのじょの目めはとても大きいおおきいです。

Kanojo no me wa totemo ōkii desu.

Her eyes are very big.

目めが痛いいたいので、目薬めぐすりを使いますつかいます。

Me ga itai node, megusuri wo tsukaimasu.

My eyes hurt, so I will use eye drops.

この映画えいがは注目ちゅうもくされています。

Kono eiga wa chūmoku sarete imasu.

This movie is getting a lot of attention.

私わたしの目標もくひょうはN3に合格ごうかくすることです。

Watashi no mokuhyō wa N3 ni gōkaku suru koto desu.

My goal is to pass the N3 exam.

彼かれは目立つめだつファッションをしています。

Kare wa medatsu fasshon wo shite imasu.

He wears very eye-catching fashion.

本ほんの目次もくじを見てみてください。

Hon no mokuji wo mite kudasai.

Please look at the table of contents.

この仕事しごとは目的もくてきがはっきりはっきりしています。

Kono shigoto wa mokuteki ga hakkiri shite imasu.

This job has a clear purpose.

彼女かのじょは目上めうえの人ひとに丁寧ていねいに話しますはなします。

Kanojo wa meue no hito ni teinei ni hanashimasu.

She speaks politely to her superiors.

子供こどもたちは目めを輝かせてかがやかせて話を聞いたはなしをきいた。

Kodomotachi wa me wo kagayakasete hanashi wo kiita.

The children listened with sparkling eyes.

Related Kanji

Memory Tip

目 is essentially a diagram of an eye. The outer rectangle is the eye socket. The two horizontal lines inside mark the eyelid and pupil.

Count the strokes: top edge, bottom edge, left side, right side, then the two interior lines — five in total, one for each defining feature of an eye in cross-section. This pictographic logic extends outward into related kanji: 見 puts 目 over a pair of legs (a person looking out), 眠 pairs it with 民 (eyes closed in rest), and 眼 layers on an extra component for the more formal, medical word for eye.

目 — Eye