見た
mita
In Japanese, 'I watched' is expressed as 見た (mita).
The verb covers both the English meanings of 'watched' (observing something in motion) and 'saw' (perceiving something with the eyes). The dictionary form, representing the present or future tense, is 見る.
Which one should you use?
The form 見た is the plain or informal version. In contrast, 見ました is the polite form used when speaking to strangers or superiors.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, people often use 見たんや instead of 見たよ.
How does it change in a sentence?
The continuous past tense 'was watching' is expressed as 見ていた.
How do you pronounce it?
mita
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the verb used for 'to see' or 'to watch' is also the standard way to say you 'saw' a dream. While English speakers distinguish between 'seeing' a movie and 'having' a dream, you would use 見た for both in Japanese.
- If you want to be extremely polite when looking at a superior's work or possessions, you would never use 見た. Instead, you use the humble verb 拝見しました (haihen shimashita) to show respect to the owner of the object.
- The verb 見る is the standard way to say you are 'visiting' or 'checking' a website. If you 'watched' a profile or a webpage, you would simply use the past tense 見た.
Examples in context
- テレビで古い映画を見た。I watched an old movie on TV.This sentence shows the use of 見た to describe watching an old movie on TV.Tatoeba #202035 by bunbuku, translation #39247 by CK
- 仕事の後に映画見たんだ。After work I watched a movie.This sentence shows the use of 見た to describe watching a movie after work.Tatoeba #10640695 by small_snow, translation #10640675 by Cabo
- 皿洗いの後はテレビを見た。I watched TV after I washed the dishes.This sentence shows the use of 見た to describe watching TV after washing the dishes.Tatoeba #11263406 by bunbuku, translation #253283 by CK
- 昨日、あのアニメ見たよ。I watched that anime yesterday.
- 新しい映画Netflixで観たよ。I watched the new movie on Netflix.
- 花火見たぞ！I watched the fireworks.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie at a cafe.
- 蓮 Ren昨日、その映画見た？Kinou, sono eiga mita?Did you watch that movie yesterday?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、見たよ。Un, mita yo.Yes, I watched it.
- 蓮 Renどうだった？Dou datta?How was it?
- 結衣 Yuiすごく面白かったよ！Sugoku omoshirokatta yo!It was really interesting!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
