The Japanese Radical: 目


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Meaning
eye    目

Explanation Image of an eye with a central pupil 口.

Used in these characters:
JLPT 5Joyo 1
watch, see, look, show
miru, KEN
Top: eye 目, bottom: legs 儿
When the eye is wandering (roaming), it is called: to watch/see.  
JLPT 5Joyo 1
eye
me, ma-, MOKU, BOKU

Image of an eye with a central pupil 口  
JLPT 3Joyo 2
calculate, count, reckon
SAN
From top: bamboo 竹, an abacus 目 (=calculation board), and two hands 廾 (twice this hand 屮 with the fingers 山 towards the top; simplified & merged)
I use the bamboo abacus with both hands to calculate and count.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
self
mizukara, SHI, JI
An emphasis ノ with an eye 目
I emphasize the eye shows the: own self.  
JLPT 4Joyo 2
head, neck, chief
kubi, SHU
Image of an eye 目 with emphasized eyebrows 首 to express the specialty of: the head or the chief. [As a radical 頁 used without eye-brows 首 with the meaning: head/forehead]
Dense eyebrows above the eyes: The head (and neck) of the chief.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
tool, ingredients
sonaeru, GU
Top: eye 目, bottom: table
Have an eye on the table, because of the tools on it.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
prefecture
KEN
From top: eye 目, corner ∟ & small 小
The eye sees in the corner (of a map) a small prefecture.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
to plant, plantation
ueru, SHOKU
Left: tree 木, right: immediately, direct, repair 直 (Ten 十 eyes 目 watch the corner ∟: repair it immediately!)
The trees are planted immediately (after purchase) in a plantation.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
reach, arrive, wear
tsuku, kiru, CHAKU
Top: variation of sheep 羊 (The horned 丷 animal with a backbone 丨 is laterally protruding due to thick wool 三.), one leg ノ and below: eye 目
The one-legged sheep is watching when you arrive and what you wear.  
JLPT 3Joyo 2
immediately, repair, improve
naoru/su, sugu, tadachi, CHOKU, JIKI
Left: corner ∟, right: ten 十 and eye 目
Ten eyes watch the corner which shall immediately be repaired.  
JLPT 4Joyo 3
truth, reality, quintessence
ma, SHIN
Top: ten 十, below: tool 具 (The eyes 目 see it on the table .)
What ten eyes see on the table is truely real.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
ministry, reflect, exclude, omission
habuku, kaerimiru, SEI, SHŌ
Top: few, little 少 (Such a small 小 stroke ノ is too little.), bottom: eye 目
Only few eyes in a ministry reflect about omissions.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
mutual, inter-.., aspect, look, Minister
ai-, SŌ, SHŌ
Left: tree 木, right: eye 目 (here pragmatically: bookshelf)
(shelves are made from trees:) Trees and shelves refer mutually to each other in terms of their external appearance, just as ministers appear in public.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
concept, thought, idea
SŌ, SO
Top: mutual, minister 相 (Trees 木 and book shelves 目 refer mutually to each other in terms of their external appearance, just as ministers appear in public.), below: heart 心
The minister has in his heart a concept.  
JLPT 3Joyo 4
put, place, set
oku, CHI
Top: eye 罒 with a central pupil ロ, bottom: direct, immediate, repair 直 (Ten 十 eyes 目 watch the corner ∟: repair it immediately!)
The eye sees immediately what has been put there.  
JLPT 1Joyo 5
eye, eyeball
manako, GAN
Left: eye 目, right: not good 艮 ('good' would be 良, but here the accent 丶 is missing, thus 'not good')
One eye (only) is not good, but it is still an eye.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
watch (over)
KAN
Top: hand 手, below: eye 目.
The hand shades the eye while watching over.  
JLPT 2Joyo 6
value, price, worth
atai, ne, CHI
Left: person 人, right: direct, repair 直 (Ten 十 eyes 目 watch the corner ∟ : Repair it immediately!)
This person understands directly the value.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
twinkle of eyes, blink of stars, flash
matataku, SHUN
Left: eye 目, right: hand reaching down 爫, cover 冖, 舛 two var. of foot 夕/止 (opposing feet) as at: to dance 舞
The eye sees a hand covering two unequal feet and twinkles.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
shield, resist, disobey, defiantly, escutcheon
tate, JUN
Left: shield 厂, right: ten 十, eye 目
A shield with 10 eyes as the symbol for: 'shield' and to resist.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
sequential, follow, circulate
JUN
Left: go 彳, right: shield 盾 (a shield 厂 with ten 十 eyes 目)
(For a better protection:) If you go under a shield, go sequentially or follow a circulation.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
increase, augment, multiply, raise (animal)
fueru/yasu, SHOKU
Left: bare bone 歹 (vertebrae or rib) - Here as a variation of many: 多, right: immediately, repair 直 (Ten 十 eyes 目 watch the corner ∟: repair it immediately!)
Many things can immediately be increased.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
be sleepy, drowsy, sleep
nemuru, SUI
Left: eye 目, right: hanging down, to drop 垂 (A vehicle 車 with a loose wheel almost dropping off.)
My eyes are already dropping, I am sleepy.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
frost
shimo,
Top: rain 雨 (View out of a window 冂 with a cloud 一 from which it is raining =,=), below: mutual, minister 相 (tree 木, eye 目)
(Sometimes hoar frost makes the trees white) This 'rain' in the trees can be seen, because it is: frost.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
gaze, look, view, watch
nagameru, CHŌ
Left: eye 目, right: sign/omen 兆 (Shows cracks in a turtle shell that were used in ancient China for divination.)
An eye as the symbol for: gazing.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
coach, supervise, lead, urge, keep watch
TOKU
Top: younger siblings of the parents 叔 (.. are harvesting pepper plants 尗 by hand 又), bottom: eye 目
The younger uncle's eye coaches me.  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
burst, explode, bomb
BAKU
Left: fire 火, right: expose, violence 暴 (= sun 日 [here: frying pan,skillet], together 共, water 水)
(You can not extinguish burning fat in a frying pan with water.) Fire leads in a frying pan 日 together with water to an explosion.  
JLPT 3Joyo 3
box, case
hako,
Top: bamboo 竹, below: mutual, minister 相 (tree 木, eye 目) [here: box 目 with two separators]
It's made of bamboo or wood and looks like a box: A box.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
risk, defy, dare, damage, attack
okasu,
Top: sun 日, below: eye 目
(Don't stare at the sun:) Sun in the eyes is risky! (Use instead a hat: 帽子 [ぼうし])  
JLPT 2Joyo 7
sleep, sleepy
nemuru/i, MIN
Left: eye 目, right: people/nation 民 (Many buttocks 尸 with the “plus +” as a multiplier form a people.)
(Inertia of the crowd) The eyes of the people are sleepy.  
JLPT 1Joyo 7
blind
mekura,
Top: death 亡 (coffin in cross section), below: eye 目
If you have "dead eyes" you are blind.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
pupil (anat., .. of the eye)
hitomi,
Left: eye 目, right: child 童 (Standing 立 in the village 里: a child.)
The eye has a 'child': The pupil.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
eyebrow
mayu, BI, MI

Image of an eye 目 framed by an eyebrow 尸.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
harmonious, friendly, intimate
BOKU
Left: eye 目, right: 坴 (earth 土 and eightfold 八 earth 土) [= part of continent 陸]
The view on all that land is friendly and harmonious.  
JLPT -Joyo 7
clear, obvious
RYŌ
Left: eye 目, right: 尞 (big 大 person with fat 丷 legs, day 日, small 小 (cf.寮=dormitory without roof)
(Memories of big days fade with time) The eye sees that a big, fat day becomes a small one: That is obvious.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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