目が死んでる

• 読み: めがしんでる
• ローマ字: me ga shinderu
• 漢字の分解: 目 (eyes) + が (subject particle) + 死んでる (are dead, continuous form of 死ぬ to die) → one's eyes are dead/lifeless
• 発音: /me.ɡa.ɕiɴ.de.ɾɯ/

意味

Dead eyes — describes someone whose eyes look completely lifeless, usually from exhaustion, despair, or being broken by work or life.

A vivid, visual expression that captures the look of someone who has been drained of all life force. You see 目が死んでる on the faces of overworked salarymen on the morning train, students during exam season, and anyone who has reached the point of complete emotional and physical depletion. The expression is often used with dark humour — describing yourself or colleagues as having 'dead eyes' is a way of acknowledging how crushingly demanding life can be. It's become an iconic image of Japan's overwork culture.

例文

1. 月曜の朝、電車の中みんな目が死んでる。
2. 繁忙期の同僚、目が死んでるけど大丈夫？
3. 徹夜明けの自分、鏡見たら目が死んでた。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, workplace, casual conversation

トーン: observational, sympathetic

正しい言い方

• 月曜の朝は全員目が死んでるよね。 (Everyone has dead eyes on Monday mornings.)
• 目が死んでるよ、少し休んだ方がいいんじゃない？ (Your eyes look dead — maybe you should take a break?)

避ける言い方

• 本当に精神的に苦しんでいる人に冗談っぽく「目が死んでる」は無神経な場合がある (Jokingly saying 'your eyes look dead' to someone genuinely suffering mentally can be insensitive)

よくある間違い

• Taking 目が死んでる too literally — it's about the look of exhaustion and lifelessness, not actual death
• Not knowing the past tense form 目が死んでた (eyes were dead) which is commonly used when describing a past observation

起源と歴史

Literal compound: 目 (eyes) + が (subject particle) + 死んでる (are dead). The expression became a popular way to describe overwork and exhaustion in 2010s social media, resonating with Japan's famously demanding work culture.

文化的背景

時代: 2010s social media culture

世代: All ages (especially workers)

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used nationwide. Has become an iconic expression of Japan's overwork culture and the morning commute experience.