Japanese word

外見

Pronunciation

Romajigaiken

Meaning

  • nounappearance

Example

私は外見だけで人を判断しません。watashi wa gai ken da ke de hito o han dan shi ma se n

I do not judge people by their appearance.

Illustration for 外見 (appearance)

More examples

面接では、外見よりも話し方や態度が重視されます。men setsu de wa gai ken yo ri mo hana shi kata ya tai do ga jū shi sa re ma su

In interviews, the way you speak and your attitude are valued more than appearance.

Core concept

Centers on the visible features or outward form by which a person or thing is perceived.

Common phrases

  • 外見で判断するgai ken de han dan su ru

    judge by appearance

  • 外見を気にするgai ken o ki ni su ru

    care about appearance

  • 外見が変わるgai ken ga ka wa ru

    appearance changes

Similar words

見た目mitame: The way a person or thing looks, especially as noticed at first sight.
外観gaikan: The outward design or visible form of a thing, viewed as a whole.
容姿yōshi: A person's physical features and overall looks.

Definition in Japanese

外から見た人や物の姿や形。soto ka ra mi ta hito ya mono no sugata ya katachi

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 外見 (gaiken) combines 外 (gai, "outside") and 見 (ken, "view"), giving the sense of what is seen from the outside.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 外見 (gaiken) can describe both a person's looks and an object's outward design, so its exact meaning depends on the subject.

Opposites

Related words

  • 外見上gaikenjōexternallyadverb
  • 外見的gaikentekiappearance-relatedna-adjective

Word lists with this word