透明
tōmei[to̞ːme̞ː]
The Japanese word for "transparent" is 透明 (tōmei).
透明 is used to describe things that are see-through or clear. In specific contexts, such as skincare or art, the noun 透明感 is used to describe a sense of clarity or a translucent quality.
Meaning: see-through, clear (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters 透 (to penetrate) and 明 (bright/clear).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 透明 as an adjective to modify a noun, you must add the particle な to form 透明な.
How do you pronounce it?
tōmei
Did you know?
- When describing a 'transparent' personality in a social sense, Japanese speakers often use the word 裏表がない (uraomote ga nai), meaning 'no front or back'.
- While 透明 describes physical transparency, you might hear people use the phrase 透明人間 (tōmei ningen) to mean 'an invisible man' or a person who is ignored by society.
- The word 透明 contains the character 明, which combines the radicals for 'sun' and 'moon' to represent the concept of light and clarity.
Examples in context
- この透明な液体には毒が含まれている。This transparent liquid contains poison.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 透明 when describing a liquid.Tatoeba #220324 by mookeee, translation #57644 by Lumi
- このボトルは透明ですThis bottle is transparent.
- 彼の行動には透明性のある説明が必要ですHis actions require an explanation with transparency.
- 彼女の瞳は透き通っているHer eyes are clear and transparent.
- このカーテンは透けて見えますThese curtains are transparent, see-through.
- 透明なケースに入れてください。Tōmei na kēsu ni irete kudasai.Please put it in a transparent case.
- 水は透明でとても綺麗ですね。Mizu wa tōmei de totemo kirei desu ne.The water is transparent and very beautiful.
Example conversation
Himari and Kenta are looking at a plastic folder.
- 健太 Kentaこのフォルダ、中身が見えるよ。kono foruda, nakami ga mieru yo.You can see the contents of this folder.
- 陽葵 Himariあ、透明な素材なんだね。a, tōmeina sozai nanda ne.Oh, it's a transparent material.
- 健太 Kentaうん、便利だと思うよ。un, benri da to omou yo.Yeah, I think it's convenient.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、これを買おうかな。jaa, kore o kaou kana.Then, maybe I'll buy this one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “transparent” translations and entries 透明, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
