目指します（めざします、mezashimasu）
- to aim for

The Japanese verb 目指します means "to aim for," "to aspire to," "to strive for," "to set one's sights on," or "to target." It indicates a goal, a destination, or an objective that someone is actively working towards. It implies a sense of purpose and effort in achieving that goal. This action of 目指します can be applied to both tangible and intangible goals.

⚫︎大学を目指します。 Translation: I am aiming for university. ⚫︎オリンピックを目指します。 Translation: I am aiming for the Olympics. ⚫︎成功を目指します。 Translation: I am striving for success.

You can use 目指します when: ⚫︎ Talking about your personal goals and aspirations. ⚫︎ Discussing the goals of an organization or group. ⚫︎ Describing the objectives of a project or plan. ⚫︎ Expressing the target or destination of a journey or endeavor. The subject of the sentence (the person or thing aiming) is usually marked with the particle は or が. The object being aimed for (the goal or target) is usually marked with the particle を.

目指します is typically written in kanji and hiragana. ⚫︎ Kanji: 目指 ⚫︎ Hiragana: します The okurigana (the hiragana following the kanji) is します. Other conjugations of the verb 目指す include: ⚫︎ 目指す(dictionary form) ⚫︎ 目指した(past tense) ⚫︎ 目指さない(negative form) ⚫︎ 目指したい(want to aim) ⚫︎ 目指しています(present continuous)

Some synonyms for 目指します include: ⚫︎ 目標にする(mokuhyou ni suru) - to set as a goal ⚫︎ 目標を立てる(mokuhyou o tateru) - to set a goal ⚫︎ 志す(kokorozasu) - to aspire to ⚫︎ 願う(negau) - to wish for, to desire ⚫︎ 狙う(nerau) - to aim at, to target

There aren't direct antonyms for 目指します because it is a verb expressing active aiming. However, words expressing the opposite of striving towards a goal might include: ⚫︎ 諦める(akirameru) - to give up ⚫︎ 放棄する(houki suru) - to abandon ⚫︎ 避ける(sakeru) - to avoid

私は医者になることを目指しています。 ・Translation: I am aiming to become a doctor. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates a personal aspiration. The speaker is actively working towards the goal of becoming a doctor.

彼女は将来、世界を旅することを目指しています。 ・Translation: She is aiming to travel the world in the future. ・Explanation: This describes someone's long-term goal and aspiration. The particle を marks the target of the aspiration.

The word 目指します is derived from the verb 目指す(めざす). ⚫︎ 目(me) means "eye" or "look." ⚫︎ 指す(sasu) means "to point" or "to indicate." Therefore, 目指す literally means "to point the eye" or to "direct one's gaze towards" something, which implies the idea of aiming or targeting.