目を凝らして見る

The expression combines several elements: * **目 (me):** Meaning 'eye' or 'eyes'. * **を (o):** A direct object particle, indicating that 'eyes' are the object of the verb. * **凝らす (korasu):** This verb has several meanings, but in this context, it means 'to concentrate', 'to fix (one's gaze)', or 'to strain (one's eyes)'. It implies focusing intensely. * Its origin can be traced back to the concept of making something dense or solid, and metaphorically applying this to mental or visual focus. * **て (te):** A conjunctive particle, connecting '凝らす' to the next verb, indicating a sequence of actions or a means by which the next action is performed. * **見る (miru):** Meaning 'to see' or 'to look'. Therefore, '目を凝らす' (me o korasu) literally means 'to strain/concentrate one's eyes', and when combined with 'て見る' (te miru), it forms an idiomatic expression meaning 'to try to see by straining one's eyes' or 'to look intently'. The nuance of difficulty in seeing is often inherent in the act of straining one's eyes to look.