表情

ひょうじょう
JLPT:N3
Frequency:

1A facial expression — the way emotion shows on someone's face, often used to read how a person is feeling.

Noun

Examples

合格発表を見た瞬間、彼女の表情がぱっと明るくなった。

The moment she saw the results, her expression suddenly brightened.

面接官の表情からは合否がまったく読み取れなかった。

I couldn't read the interviewer's expression at all to tell whether I'd passed.

赤ちゃんは色々な表情を見せて、見ているだけで飽きない。

Babies show all kinds of expressions — it's fun just to watch them.

彼は怒っているはずなのに、表情には出さなかった。

He must have been angry, but he didn't show it in his expression.

2A broader sense of 'expression' or 'look' — the way something comes across not just on the face but in voice, tone, or manner, including artistic or performative nuance.

Noun

Examples

ピアノの演奏には彼女らしい柔らかな表情があった。

Her piano performance had a soft expressiveness that was distinctly hers.

ナレーターの声の表情が物語に深みを与えている。

The expressiveness of the narrator's voice adds depth to the story.

Word Relationships

Synonyms
Antonym