瞬き

• Reading: まばたき
• Romaji: mabataki
• Kanji breakdown: 瞬 (mabata) — blink, instant, twinkle
• Pronunciation: /ma.ba.ta.ki/

Meaning

Blink; blinking of the eyes. The brief closing and opening of the eyelids.

A noun and suru verb referring to the involuntary or voluntary closing of the eyelids. Written in kanji as 瞬き but also commonly seen in hiragana as まばたき. Used literally for eye blinking and figuratively for extremely short durations (瞬きする間に, in the blink of an eye). Related to 瞬間 (shunkan, moment/instant), which shares the kanji 瞬.

Examples

1. 緊張すると瞬きの回数が増えると言われている。 It's said that the number of blinks increases when you're nervous.
2. 瞬きする間もなく車が目の前を通り過ぎた。 The car passed right in front of me in the blink of an eye.
3. 赤ちゃんがじっとこちらを見て瞬きもしなかった。 The baby stared at me intently without even blinking.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, health, figurative expressions, literature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Japanese 瞬く (mabataku, to blink), which derives from 目 (ma, eye) + はたく (hataku, to flap/flick). The kanji 瞬 means 'to twinkle' or 'an instant,' reflecting the momentary nature of a blink.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal