目を盗む

Japanese

Kanji in this term
目	盗
め Grade: 1	ぬす Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
目を盜む (kyūjitai)

Alternative forms

• 人目(ひとめ)を盗(ぬす)む (hitome o nusumu)

Etymology

From 目 (“eyes”) +‎ を (“to steal”) +‎ 盗む. Literally: to steal (someone's) eyes.

Verb

目(め)を盗(ぬす)む • (me o nusumu) godan (stem 目(め)を盗(ぬす)み (me o nusumi), past 目(め)を盗(ぬす)んだ (me o nusunda))

1. (idiomatic) to do without being seen (by); to do behind (someone's) back; to do without the knowledge of (e.g. one's parents)

   母(はは)の目(め)を盗(ぬす)んで漫画(まんが)を読(よ)む

   haha no me o nusunde manga o yomu

   to read manga without being seen by mother

Usage notes

Usually expressed in the form of ～の目を盗んで～.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "目を盗む" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	目を盗ま	めをぬすま	me o nusuma
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	目を盗み	めをぬすみ	me o nusumi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	目を盗む	めをぬすむ	me o nusumu
Rentaikei ("attributive")	目を盗む	めをぬすむ	me o nusumu
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	目を盗め	めをぬすめ	me o nusume
Meireikei ("imperative")	目を盗め	めをぬすめ	me o nusume
Key constructions
Passive	目を盗まれる	めをぬすまれる	me o nusumareru
Causative	目を盗ませる 目を盗ます	めをぬすませる めをぬすます	me o nusumaseru me o nusumasu
Potential	目を盗める	めをぬすめる	me o nusumeru
Volitional	目を盗もう	めをぬすもう	me o nusumō
Negative	目を盗まない	めをぬすまない	me o nusumanai
Negative continuative	目を盗まず	めをぬすまず	me o nusumazu
Formal	目を盗みます	めをぬすみます	me o nusumimasu
Perfective	目を盗んだ	めをぬすんだ	me o nusunda
Conjunctive	目を盗んで	めをぬすんで	me o nusunde
Hypothetical conditional	目を盗めば	めをぬすめば	me o nusumeba