目 — “eye” in Japanese

Grade 1もく, ぼく, め, ま

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“eye” in Japanese is 目, read moku, boku, me (もく, ぼく, め, ま). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 目玉 (eyeball).

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What does 目 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	目
Meaning	eye
Readings	もく, ぼく, め, ま
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	目玉 (eyeball)

How to read 目

目 is read moku (もく) or boku (ぼく) or me (め) or ma (ま) depending on the word.

Words with 目

注目ちゅうもく
目指めざ
役目やくめ
目標もくひょう
目的もくてき
六回目ろっかいめ
目的地もくてきち
目玉
丁目
項目

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Kanji read the same way as 目

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28