見事

Japanese Slang Japanese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral みごとmigoto

読み みごと

ローマ字 migoto

漢字の分解 見 (see) + 事 (thing, matter) — literally 'a thing worth seeing'

発音 /mi.ɡo.to/

意味

Splendid, beautifully done, magnificent. Praises something executed with impressive skill or striking beauty.

見事 carries a nuance of admiration for skillful execution or visual impact. It is used when something is done so well that it is worth seeing — a beautiful goal, a perfectly timed joke, a stunning piece of art. While it can sound slightly formal, it is widely used in casual speech too, especially in sports commentary and reactions to impressive feats. It implies the result was achieved with effort and skill.

例文

見事なゴールだったな、あのシュート。
見事に騙された、完全に信じてたわ。
この庭園、見事な手入れだね。

使い方ガイド

場面: sports, art appreciation, reactions to skillful actions, commentary

トーン: admiring, respectful, impressed

正しい言い方

見事な逆転勝ちだった。 (That was a splendid come-from-behind victory.)
見事にやってくれたね。 (You pulled it off beautifully.)

避ける言い方

見事に失敗した — 皮肉として使えるが学習者は混乱する可能性がある (見事に失敗した means 'spectacularly failed' — this sarcastic use is valid but can confuse learners)

よくある間違い

Reading 見事 as けんじ (kenji) using on'yomi — the correct reading is みごと (migoto), using kun'yomi for both characters
Assuming 見事 is always positive — 見事に失敗した (spectacularly failed) uses it sarcastically

起源と歴史

Compound of 見 (mi, to see) + 事 (goto, thing/matter). Literally 'a thing worth seeing,' evolving to mean something so impressive it demands attention.

文化的背景

時代: Classical to present

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used nationwide. Common in sports broadcasting, martial arts, and traditional arts appreciation.