一目置く

• 読み: いちもくおく
• ローマ字: ichimoku oku
• 漢字の分解: 一 (ichi) — one; 目 (moku/me) — eye, point (in Go); 置 (chi/o) — place, put
• 発音: /i.t͡ɕi.mo.kɯ.o.kɯ/

意味

To acknowledge someone's superiority; to take one's hat off to. Recognising that someone is a cut above.

An idiomatic expression using Group 1 (godan) verb 置く (to place). From the game of Go, where a weaker player places a handicap stone (一目) before the game begins, acknowledging the opponent's greater skill. Now used broadly to express respect for someone's abilities.

例文

1. 彼の知識の深さには誰もが一目置いている。
2. 若いのに上司からも一目置かれる存在だ。
3. 彼女の語学力には一目置くしかない。

使い方ガイド

場面: praise, workplace, sports

トーン: respectful

起源と歴史

Originates from Go (囲碁), where 一目置く meant placing one stone as a handicap, acknowledging the opponent's superior rank. This Go terminology became a widely used idiom for recognising someone's excellence.

文化的背景

時代: Edo period

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal