大目に見る

• Reading: おおめにみる
• Romaji: oome ni miru
• Kanji breakdown: 大 (dai/ō) — big, large; 目 (moku/me) — eye; 見 (ken/mi) — see, look
• Pronunciation: /oː.me.ni.mi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To overlook; to tolerate; to let pass. To be lenient about a mistake or shortcoming.

An idiomatic expression meaning to deliberately choose not to criticise or punish a fault. Literally 'to see with big eyes' — looking at something broadly rather than scrutinising the details. Used when a person in authority decides to forgive a minor offence. Often appears in requests: 大目に見てください (please overlook this).

Examples

1. 初めてのミスだから大目に見てあげよう。 It's a first-time mistake, so let's let it slide.
2. 先生は遅刻を大目に見てくれた。 The teacher turned a blind eye to the tardiness.
3. 今回だけは大目に見るが次は許さない。 I'll let it go this time, but next time there'll be no mercy.

Usage Guide

Context: forgiveness, workplace, education

Tone: lenient

Origin & History

Literally 'to look with big eyes' (大目に見る). The metaphor suggests viewing something with generous, wide-open eyes that take in the whole picture rather than focusing on small faults.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal