Japanese word

眼球

Pronunciation

Romajigankyū

Meaning

  • nouneyeball

Example

医師は眼球を調べます。i shi wa gan kyū o shira be ma su

The doctor examines the eyeball.

Illustration for 眼球 (eyeball)

More examples

目を強くこすると、眼球が赤くなります。me o tsuyo ku ko su ru to gan kyū ga aka ku na ri ma su

Rubbing your eyes hard can make your eyeballs red.

Core concept

Names the firm, rounded organ inside the eye that supports the process of vision by receiving light.

Common phrases

  • 眼球運動gan kyū un dō

    eyeball movement

  • 眼球を動かすgan kyū o ugo ka su

    move the eyeball

  • 眼球を調べるgan kyū o shira be ru

    examine the eyeball

Similar words

目玉medama: A common, somewhat informal term for the rounded organ that receives light for vision.
目me: The organ of sight, which can refer to the eyeball or the visible eye as a whole.

Definition in Japanese

眼窩の中にある、光を受けて視覚を生じさせる球形の器官。gan ka no naka ni a ru hikari o u ke te shi kaku o shō ji sa se ru kyū kei no ki kan

Word origin

The Japanese compound 眼球 (gankyū) joins 眼 (gan, "eye") with 球 (kyū, "sphere"), naming the eye by its spherical form.

Usage tips

  • The English word eyeball is more specific than eye in physical descriptions because it names the globe itself, not the surrounding eyelids or the sense of sight.

Word lists with this word