Japanese Conversation · Level 66
75 words
Japanese word
眉
Pronunciation
Romajimayu
Meaning
- nouneyebrow
Example
眉を上げて驚きを表します。mayu o a ge te odoro ki o arawa shi ma su
I raise my eyebrow to show surprise.
More examples
彼はその知らせを聞いて眉をひそめました。kare wa so no shi ra se o ki i te mayu o hi so me ma shi ta
He frowned when he heard the news.
Core concept
Refers to the band of hair above the eye that helps shape facial expression and protect the eye.
Common phrases
眉をひそめるmayu o hi so me ru
frown
眉を上げるmayu o a ge ru
raise an eyebrow
眉を寄せるmayu o yo se ru
knit one's brows
Similar words
眉毛mayuge: The individual hairs that grow above the eye and together form an eyebrow.
Definition in Japanese
目の上に並んで生える短い毛のまとまり。me no ue ni nara n de ha e ru mijika i ke no ma to ma ri
Word origin
The noun 眉 (mayu, "eyebrow") is a native Japanese word written with the kanji 眉; the exact formation of mayu is uncertain.
Usage tips
- In English, raising an eyebrow commonly signals surprise or doubt, which makes the related gesture a useful link to this body-part word.