Japanese word

見た目

Pronunciation

Romajimitame

Meaning

  • nounlook

Example

この料理は見た目がきれいです。ko no ryō ri wa mi ta me ga ki re i de su

This dish looks beautiful.

Illustration for 見た目 (look)

More examples

この服の見た目が好きです。ko no fuku no mi ta me ga su ki de su

I like the look of these clothes.

人を見た目だけで判断してはいけません。hito o mi ta me da ke de han dan shi te wa i ke ma se n

You should not judge people by their appearance.

Core concept

Focuses on the outward features of a person or thing that can be noticed by looking, without judging their quality.

Common phrases

  • 見た目がいいmi ta me ga i i

    look good

  • 見た目が悪いmi ta me ga waru i

    look bad

  • 見た目を気にするmi ta me o ki ni su ru

    care about appearance

Similar words

外見gaiken: The outward appearance of a person or thing as seen by others.
姿sugata: The way a person or thing looks from the outside.
見かけmikake: The way a person or thing appears, which may not show its true nature.

Definition in Japanese

人や物を外から見たときにわかる姿や状態。hito ya mono o soto ka ra mi ta to ki ni wa ka ru sugata ya jō tai

Word origin

The Japanese expression 見た目 (mitame) combines the past form of 見る (miru, "to see") with 目 (me, "eye"), forming a noun for what is seen.

Usage tips

  • 見た目 (mitame) is useful when discussing how something appears at first sight, while its actual quality, age, or nature may be different.

Opposites

Word lists with this word