じろじろ
staring; scrutinizing

Since じろじろ is perhaps the least confusing onomatopoeic word we've seen so far, this is going to be a nice, short lesson.

First, a Japanese dictionary entry:

無遠慮に目を向けるさま。
ぶえんりょ　に　め　を　むける　さま。
looking without reservation or restraint
Literally: “rude / without reservation + に + eyes + を + turn towards + state”
Source: goo辞書

 

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For example, let's say that you and I are walking down the street when we see a guy with a beard so long it touches the ground!

I can't help but stare, so you tell me...

そんなにジロジロ見たら失礼だよ。
そんなに　ジロジロ　みたら　しつれい　だ　よ。
It’s rude to stare like that.
Literally: “so much / like that + staring + if/when (you) look + rude + だ + よ.”

 

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The next day, maybe you're at lunch with another friend, and she keeps staring at you.

It's making you uncomfortable, so you say...

何？じろじろ見ないでよ。
なに？　じろじろ　みないで　よ。
What? Quit staring at me.
Literally: “what? + staring + don’t look (and) + よ.”

 

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You (a female) are lying in bed and recalling an experience you had at the convenience store, thinking...

店員に胸元をジロジロと見られて不快だった。
てんいん　に　むなもと　を　ジロジロ　と　みられて　ふかい　だった。
The employee was staring at my chest. It made me really uncomfortable.
Literally: “shop clerk + に + chest / breast + を + staring + と + was looked at (and) + uncomfortable / unpleasant + was.”

 

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Did you notice that we used the verb 見る (みる // to look at; to watch; to see) right after じろじろ in all of our sentences?

And one time we slipped a と in there, which is common with onomatopoeia.

We usually don't focus much on this kind of thing in our onomatopoeia lessons, but it seemed like a nice, clear example of a word (the verb 見る) being best friends with an onomatopoeic word (じろじろ), so I mentioned it.

 

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We're done with this one.

I'm sure you'll find opportunities to use it when speaking Japanese...