Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 見る | miru | [mʲiɾɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| ご覧になる | go-ran ni naru | [ɡo̞ɾa̠ɲ̟ ɲ̟i na̠ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | honorific |
| 拝見する | haiken-suru | humble |
The verb 見る is used to mean 'to see' or 'to look at'. It is also the standard verb used for watching entertainment, such as watching movies, television or sports.
Which one should you use?
見える is used to describe the ability to see or a situation where something is visible or comes into view spontaneously.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Japanese offers different levels of politeness depending on who is performing the action. Use the honorific form ご覧になる when you are talking about the actions of a superior or someone you wish to show respect to. Use the humble form 拝見する when you are describing your own act of seeing something to show respect to the person you are speaking to.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 見る is 見た (saw). To describe the continuous action of looking at something right now, use the form 見ている (is seeing / is looking).
How do you pronounce it?
miru
Did you know?
- The humble verb 拝見する contains the character for 'bow', reflecting the cultural act of lowering one's head while viewing something presented by a superior.
- While 見る is used for watching TV, Japanese uses a different verb 観る for 'seeing' a play or movie, though both are pronounced 'miru'.
- Japanese has a specific term 見舞う for 'seeing' or 'visiting' a sick person, which blends the act of seeing with a gesture of sympathy.
Examples in context
- 私たちは目でものを見る。We see with our eyes.This sentence illustrates the use of 見る to describe seeing with eyes.Tatoeba #165076 by bunbuku, translation #249430 by Eldad
- 彼はひ孫を見るまで生きた。He lived to see great-grandchildren.This sentence shows 見る used in the context of living to see a certain stage of life.Tatoeba #111195 by KK_kaku_, translation #292489 by AlanF_US
- 血を見ると気分が悪くなる。I feel sick whenever I see blood.This sentence uses 見る to describe the reaction to seeing blood.Tatoeba #3468879 by arnab, translation #238762 by CK
- 見てください。Please see/look at it.
- 今日、映画を見ました。I saw a movie today.
- ご覧になってください。Please have a look.
- 新聞の記事をご覧になりましたか？Did you see/read the newspaper article?
- 昨日、新しい映画を見たよ。I saw a new movie yesterday.
- それ、見てみて！Look at that!
- 富士山が見える！Mount Fuji is visible!
- 窓から海が見えます。You can see the sea from the window.
- 107 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Himari are looking at a photo on a phone.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの写真、見る？Kono shashin, miru?Do you want to see this photo?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、見せて！Un, misete!Yes, show me!
- 大翔 Hirotoほら、ここを見て。Hora, koko o mite.Look, see right here.
- 陽葵 Himariわあ、すごいね！Waa, sugoi ne!Wow, that's amazing!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “see” translations and entries 見る, ご覧になる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
