How to say "appearances" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

見栄みえCommon
nounCovers appearances in the sense of putting on a show to impress others — 見栄を張る means to keep up appearances or show off. Nuance: outward display driven by vanity or pride rather than genuine substance.
彼女かのじょは好奇心こうきしんからというより見栄みえからテニスを始はじめた。↗
She has begun to play tennis not so much out of curiosity as out of vanity.
体面たいめんCommon
nounCovers appearances as respectability or social standing — keeping up appearances to preserve one's dignity or prestige before others. Nuance: maintaining a respectable face, often for family, work, or society's eyes.
体面たいめんを保たもつために行いった。↗
For appearances sake, I went.
だてCommon
noun, na-adjectiveCovers appearances as affectation or putting on an air; usually written in kana alone. Nuance: self-conscious showing off, often with a slightly self-deprecating tone, as in だてに～する, 'to do something merely for show'.

For 'appearances' as vanity or showing off use 見栄 or 「だて」; for appearances as social respectability or standing use 体面.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

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