1.
real image (optics)
In optics, an image formed by converging light rays that can be projected onto a screen. The opposite of a virtual image.
凸レンズで実像を作る。
A convex lens produces a real image.
実像はスクリーンに映すことができる。
A real image can be projected onto a screen.
焦点距離と物体の位置によって、実像の大きさと向きが変わる。
The size and orientation of the real image change depending on the focal length and the position of the object.
2.
true picture; actual figure; real portrait
The true, unembellished reality of a person, organization, or situation — as opposed to an idealized or media-constructed image.
歴史上の人物の実像に迫る。
To get to the true picture of a historical figure.
報道だけでは企業の実像はわからない。
You cannot understand a company's true nature from media reports alone.
この伝記は伝説を排し、偉人の実像を丁寧に描き出している。
This biography sets aside legend and carefully depicts the great figure's true character.
Composed of 実 (real, actual) and 像 (image, figure). The two senses correspond to the literal (optics) and figurative (true nature) meanings of "real image."
The optics sense (sense 1) is standard physics vocabulary taught in middle school. The figurative sense (sense 2) is common in journalism, biography, and cultural criticism — typically paired with verbs like 迫る (to approach), 描く (to depict), or 明らかにする (to reveal).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 実像と虚像: real image and virtual image (optics); reality and façade (figurative)
- 実像に迫る: to get to the truth of
- 実像を描く: to depict the true picture
- 凸レンズの実像: real image from a convex lens
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 虚像: virtual image — the opposite in both optics and figurative use
- 実態: actual state; true condition — similar figurative meaning but more concrete and data-oriented
- 素顔: true face; unmasked self — more personal, about an individual's genuine character
Related Words
Antonym:
虚像 (virtual image)