眼差し

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 眼差し, read まなざし, denotes a gaze and the feeling conveyed through it.
• Basic usage: In 先生は不安そうな生徒に優しい眼差しを向けた。, the teacher directed a gentle look toward a student who seemed anxious.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Compared with 視線
  • 視線 focuses on the direction of a look, while 眼差し readily conveys an attitude or feeling, as with 優しい or 厳しい.
• Looking and being looked at
  • 眼差しを向ける centers on the person directing a look; 眼差しを受ける centers on its recipient. The two examples take these different viewpoints.