Japanese Conversation · Level 113
60 words
Japanese word
瞳
Pronunciation
Romajihitomi
Meaning
- nounpupil
Example
暗い場所では瞳が大きくなります。kura i ba sho de wa hitomi ga ō ki ku na ri ma su
In dark places, the pupils get bigger.
More examples
猫の瞳は光の加減で形が変わります。neko no hitomi wa hikari no ka gen de katachi ga ka wa ri ma su
A cat's pupils change shape depending on the light.
Core concept
Describes the eye's central opening as it appears dark and varies in size with the surrounding light.
Common phrases
瞳を閉じるhitomi o to ji ru
close one's eyes
瞳を輝かせるhitomi o kagaya ka se ru
make one's eyes shine
瞳に映るhitomi ni utsu ru
be reflected in one's eyes
Similar words
瞳孔dōkō: The central opening in the iris through which light enters the eye.
Definition in Japanese
目の中央にある、周囲の明るさに応じて大きさが変わる黒い部分。me no chū ō ni a ru shū i no aka ru sa ni ō ji te ō ki sa ga ka wa ru kuro i bu bun
Word origin
瞳 (hitomi, "pupil") is a native Japanese word with no certain etymology; 瞳 (dō, "pupil of the eye") is the Chinese-derived kanji used to write it.
Usage tips
- In everyday English, a pupil can be a student, but expressions such as the pupil of the eye identify the eye-related sense.