The Meaning of metsuki [目付き] In Japanese

目付き
めつき
Romaji: metsuki N4

What does 目付き mean?

Translation and Meaning

look, gaze, expression (in the eyes)

Definition

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.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

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

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.

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

Usage

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.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine two eyes attached to a face; whenever you meet someone, the two eyes (metsuki) signal what you’re thinking even before you speak.

Variations

  • 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

Example Phrases

  • 駅の改札で 彼は 鋭い 目付きで 私を 見た。
    Eki no kaisatsu de kare wa surudoi metsuki de watashi o mita.
    At the ticket gate, he looked at me with a sharp gaze.
    Lista:
    • 駅の改札で (Eki no kaisatsu de) – at the ticket gate
    • 彼は (kare wa) – he
    • 鋭い (surudoi) – sharp
    • 目付きで (metsuki de) – with a gaze
    • 私を (watashi o) – me
    • 見た (mita) – saw
    「目付き」 means gaze; here it functions as the noun for the gaze, and 「で」 marks the manner in which he looked: 鋭い目付きで.
目付き