はっきり
hakkiri
A blurred outline coming into focus: はっきり
The picture A smudged outline coming into focus until the border stands out crisply. はっきり is an edge becoming crisp; ぼんやり is an edge bleeding out and going vague.
Where the picture shows up in はっきり
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the eyes finding focus
眼鏡をかけると、字がはっきり見えます。
megane o kakeru to, ji ga hakkiri miemasu
With glasses on, I can see the letters clearly.
The moment the glasses go on, letter edges that were bleeding turn knife-sharp
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a sound with no clear edge
電話の声がはっきり聞こえません。
denwa no koe ga hakkiri kikoemasen
I can't hear you clearly on the phone.
Pressing the handset hard to your ear, brow drawn in, moving towards the window
In the negative it says the outline won't form.
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drawing an edge round words
嫌なら、はっきり言ってください。
iya nara, hakkiri itte kudasai
If you don't want to, please say so plainly.
Stopping mid-hedge, meeting the other person's eyes and drawing a line in one sentence
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a memory that keeps its outline
その日のことははっきり覚えています。
sono hi no koto wa hakkiri oboete imasu
I remember that day vividly.
A scene from years back coming up as sharp-edged as a photo taken minutes ago
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a cause coming out of the blur
検査で原因がはっきりしました。
kensa de gen'in ga hakkiri shimashita
The test made the cause clear.
A red circle drawn round one line of test results, and a vague story collapsing to a single point
はっきりする is how a situation gets settled.
All of it in one picture
One picture of focus and all five line up. Get the outline of letters and you can see; fail to get the outline of a voice and you can't hear. Draw an edge around what you mean and you speak plainly; keep the outline of a memory and you remember vividly. Let a test bring the outline of a cause out of the blur and the matter is settled.