目を疑う／耳を疑う
目を疑う／耳を疑う
めをうたがう／みみをうたがう
to not believe one’s eyes / to not believe one’s ears
Literally: “eyes + を + doubt + / + ears + を + doubt”
These idiomatic phrases aren't all that different than our English versions, are they?
Just to be safe, though, let's include some Japanese definitions.
Here's the Japanese definition of 目を疑う：
実際に見ても信じられないほど不思議に思う。
じっさい に みても しんじられない ほど ふしぎ に おもう。
to think that something is so strange [mysterious] that you can’t believe it, even though you’re seeing it
Literally: “reality + に + even if (you) see + cannot believe + extent / degree + strange / mysterious + に + think.”
Source: goo辞書
And here's the Japanese definition of 耳を疑う：
思いがけないことを聞き、聞き違いかと思う。聞いたことが信じられないことにいう。
おもいがけない こと を きき、 ききちがい か と おもう。 きいた こと が しんじられない こと に いう。
to hear something unexpected and think you’ve misheard it; said when unable to believe something you’ve heard
Literally: “unexpected + thing + を + hear (and), + mishearing + か + と + think. + heard + thing + が + cannot believe + thing + に + say.”
Source: goo辞書
I had heard both of these idioms before, but I had rarely (never?) used them in my own speech.
I think it's time to rectify that.
５年ぶりに会った元カレの変貌ぶりに自分の目を疑った。
ごねん ぶり に あった もとカレ の へんぼう ぶり に じぶん の め を うたがった。
It had been five years since I saw my ex-boyfriend, and I couldn’t believe (my eyes when I saw) how much he’d changed.
Literally: “after five years + に + met / saw + ex-boyfriend + の + transformation / change of appearance + style + に + oneself + の + eyes + を + doubted.”
(Source)
思わず目を疑うような奇跡の写真が撮れた。
おもわず め を うたがう ような きせき の しゃしん が とれた。
I somehow managed to take the most perfectly timed photo. It doesn’t even look real.
Literally: “unintentionally + eyes + を + doubt + like + miracle + の + picture + が + was able to take.”
↑ Initially, I had some trouble translating this Japanese sentence, as I wasn't sure what to put for「奇跡の写真」, which literally means something like "miraculous photo."
Japanese articles featuring「奇跡の写真」online, however, appear to be quite similar to English articles featuring "perfectly timed photos," so that's what I went with.
妻に「クソ野郎」と言われた時は、自分の耳を疑った。
つま に 「クソやろう」 と いわれた とき は、 じぶん の みみ を うたがった。
When my wife called me a piece of shit [a fucking asshole], I couldn’t believe my ears.
Literally: “wife + に + shit + guy / bastard / asshole + と + was told + time / when + は, + oneself + の + ears + を + doubted.”
息子の突然のカミングアウトに、一瞬耳を疑った。
むすこ の とつぜん の カミングアウト に、 いっしゅん みみ を うたがった。
Hearing my son suddenly come out to me, for a moment I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. // When my son suddenly told me (that), for a moment I couldn’t believe my ears.
Literally: “son + の + sudden + の + coming out (of the closet) + に, + (for an) instant + ears + を + doubted.”
Note: While "coming out" only refers to revealing one's homosexuality in English, in Japanese it can also mean revealing other kinds of secrets, in addition to this.
Finished!
Hope you have fun using this new idiom. ^_^
めをうたがう／みみをうたがう
to not believe one’s eyes / to not believe one’s ears
Literally: “eyes + を + doubt + / + ears + を + doubt”
These idiomatic phrases aren't all that different than our English versions, are they?
Just to be safe, though, let's include some Japanese definitions.
Here's the Japanese definition of 目を疑う：
実際に見ても信じられないほど不思議に思う。
じっさい に みても しんじられない ほど ふしぎ に おもう。
to think that something is so strange [mysterious] that you can’t believe it, even though you’re seeing it
Literally: “reality + に + even if (you) see + cannot believe + extent / degree + strange / mysterious + に + think.”
Source: goo辞書
And here's the Japanese definition of 耳を疑う：
思いがけないことを聞き、聞き違いかと思う。聞いたことが信じられないことにいう。
おもいがけない こと を きき、 ききちがい か と おもう。 きいた こと が しんじられない こと に いう。
to hear something unexpected and think you’ve misheard it; said when unable to believe something you’ve heard
Literally: “unexpected + thing + を + hear (and), + mishearing + か + と + think. + heard + thing + が + cannot believe + thing + に + say.”
Source: goo辞書
I had heard both of these idioms before, but I had rarely (never?) used them in my own speech.
I think it's time to rectify that.
５年ぶりに会った元カレの変貌ぶりに自分の目を疑った。
ごねん ぶり に あった もとカレ の へんぼう ぶり に じぶん の め を うたがった。
It had been five years since I saw my ex-boyfriend, and I couldn’t believe (my eyes when I saw) how much he’d changed.
Literally: “after five years + に + met / saw + ex-boyfriend + の + transformation / change of appearance + style + に + oneself + の + eyes + を + doubted.”
(Source)
思わず目を疑うような奇跡の写真が撮れた。
おもわず め を うたがう ような きせき の しゃしん が とれた。
I somehow managed to take the most perfectly timed photo. It doesn’t even look real.
Literally: “unintentionally + eyes + を + doubt + like + miracle + の + picture + が + was able to take.”
↑ Initially, I had some trouble translating this Japanese sentence, as I wasn't sure what to put for「奇跡の写真」, which literally means something like "miraculous photo."
Japanese articles featuring「奇跡の写真」online, however, appear to be quite similar to English articles featuring "perfectly timed photos," so that's what I went with.
妻に「クソ野郎」と言われた時は、自分の耳を疑った。
つま に 「クソやろう」 と いわれた とき は、 じぶん の みみ を うたがった。
When my wife called me a piece of shit [a fucking asshole], I couldn’t believe my ears.
Literally: “wife + に + shit + guy / bastard / asshole + と + was told + time / when + は, + oneself + の + ears + を + doubted.”
息子の突然のカミングアウトに、一瞬耳を疑った。
むすこ の とつぜん の カミングアウト に、 いっしゅん みみ を うたがった。
Hearing my son suddenly come out to me, for a moment I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. // When my son suddenly told me (that), for a moment I couldn’t believe my ears.
Literally: “son + の + sudden + の + coming out (of the closet) + に, + (for an) instant + ears + を + doubted.”
Note: While "coming out" only refers to revealing one's homosexuality in English, in Japanese it can also mean revealing other kinds of secrets, in addition to this.
Finished!
Hope you have fun using this new idiom. ^_^
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