やってみる
yattemiru
To try to do something in Japanese is やってみる (yattemiru).
The phrase is used to express the idea of attempting an action specifically to see what the result will be. This is a grammatical pattern where you attach the te-form of any verb to miru to mean 'try doing [verb]'.
Which one should you use?
やってみる implies 'trying something out to see how it goes,' which differs from shiyou to suru (しようとする). The latter implies making an effort or attempting to perform a difficult task.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase やってみる is the dictionary (plain/informal) form.
How do you pronounce it?
yattemiru
Did you know?
- The verb みる is used in a similar pattern to describe tasting food, such as 食べてみる (tabetemiru), which means 'try eating' to see if it tastes good.
- If you use the phrase やってみる when a superior asks you to do something, it can sound slightly too casual or even cheeky, as if you are treating their request as a mere experiment.
- When using みて (mite) at the end of a request, it softens the command and makes it sound like a gentle suggestion to 'give it a go'.
Examples in context
- 食べてみますI will try to eat.
- 食べてみるI'll try to eat.
- ギターを弾いてみます。I will try to play the guitar.
- 明日は新しいレシピを試してみます。Tomorrow, I will try a new recipe.
- 分からないけど、とりあえずやってみるよ。Wakaranai kedo, toriaezu yatte miru yo.I don't know, but I'll give it a try for now.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are discussing a difficult puzzle in a game.
- 蓮 Renこのパズル、難しそうだけどやってみる？Kono pazuru, muzukashisou dakedo yatte miru?This puzzle looks difficult, but do you want to try it?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、ちょっとやってみるね。Un, chotto yatte miru ne.Yeah, I'll give it a try.
- 蓮 Ren結衣ならきっとできるよ。Yui nara kitto dekiru yo.I'm sure you can do it, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、頑張ってみる！Arigatou, ganbatte miru!Thanks, I'll do my best!
