nerai wo kimeru.

It is pronounced ねらい を きめる.

• 狙い = ねらい
• を = pronounced o
• 決める = きめる

So the full phrase is nerai o kimeru.

狙い means something like aim, target, or what you are going after.

Depending on context, it can be:

• a literal target, as in sports, hunting, or shooting
• a strategic target, as in choosing what to attack or focus on
• an intended objective or point

So it is broader than just a physical target.

を marks the direct object of the verb.

Here:

• 狙い = the thing being decided
• 決める = to decide / determine

So 狙いを決める literally means decide the aim/target.

A native English speaker may expect something like decide on, but in Japanese the thing decided is often marked directly with を.

決める means to decide, to determine, or to settle on.

So this phrase is not just about having an aim. It means actively choosing or fixing the aim.

That gives the whole phrase a nuance like:

• decide what to target
• choose your target
• settle on your aim

Yes, it can be.

Because 決める is in plain dictionary form, 狙いを決める。 can work as a complete sentence, especially in:

• written Japanese
• instructions
• narration
• notes
• casual speech

Depending on context, it may mean things like:

• I decide on the target.
• We decide on the aim.
• Choose the target.
• To decide on the target.

Japanese often leaves out the subject, so you understand it from context.

It is in the dictionary form (plain non-past form).

That form can express:

• a present habitual action
• a future action
• a general statement
• a dictionary-style or instructional statement

So 狙いを決める does not by itself tell you whether it is present or future in the English sense. Context decides that.

It can be both.

Literal uses:

• aiming at a target in sports or hunting
• choosing which target to attack in a game

Figurative uses:

• deciding what objective to focus on
• identifying the key point or audience
• choosing what to go after in a plan or strategy

So it is a flexible phrase.

狙う means to aim at, to target, or to go after.

By contrast, 狙いを決める emphasizes the step of choosing or fixing the target first.

So the difference is roughly:

• 狙う = to aim at / target
• 狙いを決める = to decide what to aim at

In other words, 決める adds the idea of making a selection.

They are similar, but the nuance is a little different.

• 狙いを決める = decide on the target/aim
• 狙いを定める = fix or steady your aim on the target

決める focuses more on the decision. 定める focuses more on setting or locking the aim into place.

In many contexts they can be close in meaning, but 定める often feels a bit more like careful targeting.

Sometimes, but not always.

• 狙い = aim, target, what you are going after
• 目標 = goal, objective, target in a broader or more planned sense

狙い often feels more immediate, tactical, or target-focused. 目標 often feels more like a goal you want to achieve.

So:

• 狙いを決める = decide what to target
• 目標を決める = decide on a goal

They overlap, but the nuance is different.

In standard neutral Japanese, you would normally keep を here.

So the normal form is:

• 狙いを決める

In very casual speech, particles are sometimes dropped, but this is not the basic form learners should copy first.

No. Japanese usually does not mark singular vs. plural the way English does.

So 狙いを決める could mean:

• decide on the target
• decide on a target
• decide on the aims

But in many real situations, it will naturally be understood as singular unless context suggests otherwise.