見る

• Reading: みる
• Romaji: miru
• Kanji breakdown: 見 (ken/mi) — to see, to look
• Pronunciation: /mi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To see; to look at; to watch; to view; to observe.

A Group 2 (ichidan) transitive verb. Covers a wide range of visual perception, from passive seeing to active watching. Used for watching TV, movies, and looking at scenery. The auxiliary form てみる means 'to try doing something.' Different from 見える (mieru, 'to be visible') and 観る (miru, used specifically for performances/shows).

Examples

1. テレビを見ますか。 Do you watch TV?
2. 昨日映画を見ました。 I watched a movie yesterday.
3. この本を見てください。 Please take a look at this book.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, entertainment, observation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 見 depicts an eye (目) on legs (儿), representing the act of looking or observing while moving about.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal