無視
mushi[mɯ̟ɕi]
The English phrase "ignoring" is translated into Japanese as 無視 (mushi).
無視 is used to express the act of ignoring. While 無視 is the standard term, there are other ways to express related concepts. For example, 目を背ける specifically refers to avoiding eye contact as a form of ignoring or avoiding something. If you want to express the sense of purposefully letting something pass through without reacting or ignoring it, you can use the trendy, informal expression スルーする.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 無視 as a verb, you must add the verb suru (to do) to the noun, resulting in 無視する (to ignore). The dictionary form 無視する is the base verb. To express the continuous form "is ignoring," you use the ~te iru form of the verb, which results in 無視している.
Did you know?
- When someone is being ignored by a group in a workplace or school, it is sometimes referred to as 村八分, a historical practice of social ostracization in rural villages.
- The word 無視 (mushi) is composed of two characters: 'nothing' and 'existence'. Literally, it means to treat something as if it does not exist.
- In Japanese social dynamics, 無視 is often seen as a severe form of emotional aggression rather than a passive act, sometimes used as a tool for social exclusion in schools.
Examples in context
- 私のこと無視してる？Are you ignoring me?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is ignoring you using 無視.Tatoeba #8791944 by bunbuku, translation #5820232 by OsoHombre
- トムが私のこと無視してくるの。Tom is ignoring me.This sentence shows how to say someone is ignoring you using 無視.Tatoeba #8858897 by bunbuku, translation #2273210 by CK
- どうして私を無視するのかしら？Why is she ignoring me?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is ignoring you using 無視.Tatoeba #10914780 by small_snow, translation #10627365 by Ricardo14
- 彼女は私のメッセージを無視しました。She ignored my message.
- 彼は僕の話を無視したんだよ。He ignored what I said.
- 彼女は私のジョークを完全にスルーしました。She completely ignored my joke.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about a fight they had with a friend.
- 蓮 Ren昨日から彼に無視されてるんだ。Kinō kara kare ni mushi sareteru n da.I've been ignored by him since yesterday.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、どうして無視されるの？E, dōshite mushi sareru no?What? Why are you being ignored?
- 蓮 Renよく分からないけど、完全な無視だよ。Yoku wakaranai kedo, kanzen na mushi da yo.I'm not sure, but it's a total blackout.
- 美咲 Misakiそれはひどいね、蓮。Sore wa hidoi ne, Ren.That's terrible, Ren.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 無視, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
