1.
to be reflected, to be mirrored
For an image to appear on a reflective surface such as a mirror, water, or glass.
鏡に顔が映る。
My face is reflected in the mirror.
窓ガラスに街の景色が映っていた。
The scenery of the town was reflected in the window glass.
水面に映る桜がとても美しかった。
The cherry blossoms reflected on the water surface were very beautiful.
2.
to appear (on screen/in photo), to come out
For an image to appear on a screen, in a photograph, or through a camera. Also used to describe how something looks or comes across visually.
写真にきれいに映った。
It came out nicely in the photo.
テレビに映っているのは誰ですか。
Who is the person appearing on TV?
彼の行動は周りの人にはわがままに映ったようだ。
His behavior apparently came across as selfish to those around him.
TRANSITIVITY: 自動詞 (intransitive). Transitive pair: 映す.
ASPECT: ている indicates a state — the image is currently visible/reflected. 映っている = 'is reflected / is showing.'
KANJI NOTE:
Distinguish from homophones:
- 映る: to be reflected, to appear on screen — this entry
- 写る: to be photographed, to appear in a photo
- 移る: to move, to transfer
EXTENDED USAGE:
Can mean 'to come across as, to appear as' when describing impressions: …に映る (to appear as … to someone). This is a figurative extension of the visual meaning.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 鏡に映る: to be reflected in a mirror
- テレビに映る: to appear on TV
- 目に映る: to catch one's eye, to appear to one