目 — Kanji Reference

目 (eye): 5 strokes, JLPT N5. On: モク、ボク. Kun: め.

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目

Property Value
Meaning eye
Strokes 5
JLPT Level N5
On-reading (音読み) モク、ボク
Kun-reading (訓読み) め
Radical 目 (めへん - me-hen) [U+76EE]

Stroke Order

The kanji 目 is written in 5 strokes following the standard rule of top-to-bottom and left-to-right.

  1. Stroke 1: A vertical line on the left.
  2. Stroke 2: A horizontal line starting from the top of the first stroke, turning 90 degrees downward to form the top and right side.
  3. Stroke 3: A horizontal line inside the box, touching the left side.
  4. Stroke 4: A second horizontal line inside the box, touching the left side.
  5. Stroke 5: The bottom horizontal line, closing the box.

Radical Analysis

The kanji 目 is a pictograph representing the human eye. The outer box represents the eye socket, and the two horizontal lines inside represent the pupil and the iris. Because it is a simple pictograph, it serves as its own radical (部首 - bushu). When used as a component in other kanji (like 眼 or 眠), it is often placed on the left side, where it is referred to as me-hen.

Mnemonic

Imagine the kanji 目 as a side-view of a face. The vertical line on the left is the bridge of the nose, and the box with two lines inside is the eye looking out at you. Alternatively, think of it as a "window" to the soul; the two lines inside are the shutters that open and close.

On-readings (音読み) with Examples

モク (Moku)

Word Reading Romaji English
目的 もくてき mokuteki purpose/goal
目標 もくひょう mokuhyou target/objective
注目 ちゅうもく chuumoku attention
目次 もくじ mokuji table of contents

ボク (Boku)

Word Reading Romaji English
盲目 もうもく moumoku blindness

Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples

め (Me)

Word Reading Romaji English
目薬 めぐすり megusuri eye drops
目上 めうえ meue superior/senior
目下 めした meshita subordinate/junior

JLPT N5 Words Using 目

Word Reading Romaji English JLPT
目 め me eye N5
目薬 めぐすり megusuri eye drops N5
目的 もくてき mokuteki purpose N4
目標 もくひょう mokuhyou target N3
注目 ちゅうもく chuumoku attention N3
目次 もくじ mokuji table of contents N3
目立つ めだつ medatsu to stand out N3
目覚める めざめる mezameru to wake up N3

Example Sentences

Japanese Reading Romaji English
目が痛いです。 めがいたいです。 Me ga itai desu. My eyes hurt.
彼は目を閉じました。 かれはめをとじました。 Kare wa me o tojimashita. He closed his eyes.
目的は何ですか。 もくてきはなんですか。 Mokuteki wa nan desu ka? What is your purpose?
彼女は人目を引く。 かのじょはひとめをひく。 Kanojo wa hitome o hiku. She attracts attention.
目標を達成する。 もくひょうをたっせいする。 Mokuhyou o tassei suru. To achieve a goal.
目次を見てください。 もくじをみてください。 Mokuji o mite kudasai. Please look at the table of contents.

Common Confusion Pairs

Kanji Reading Meaning How to distinguish
目 め eye Has two horizontal lines inside.
日 ひ sun/day Has only one horizontal line inside.
自 じ self Has a small dash on top of the box.
  • 目 vs 日: The easiest way to remember is that "eye" (目) has two lines (like a pupil and iris), while "sun" (日) has only one line (representing the sun's center).
  • 目 vs 自: The kanji 自 (self) is essentially 目 with an extra stroke on top. Think of it as "pointing to yourself" (the extra stroke is a finger pointing at your eye/self).

Usage Frequency Note

目 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in almost every newspaper and is used daily in both formal and casual speech. Beyond its literal meaning of "eye," it is frequently used in abstract contexts, such as mokuteki (purpose) or chuumoku (attention), making it essential for learners to master early.