見る

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.^[1] From Proto-Japonic *miru. Cognate with 目 (me, “eye”).

• (Tokyo) みる (Atamadaka – )^[3][4]
• (Mishima) みる (Heiban – )^[2]
• IPA^(key):

見(み)る • (miru) transitive ichidan (stem 見(み) (mi), past 見(み)た (mita))

1. to see, to watch, to observe, to look at something
   • 2003 October 10, Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: Volume 1, spoken by young O-Ren Ishii (Ai Maeda), Miramax Films:

     松(まつ)本(もと)……あたしを見(み)て……あたしの顔(かお)をよーく見(み)て……あたしの目(め)を見(み)て……あたしの口(くち)を見(み)て……見(み)覚(おぼ)えないかい？……あんたが殺(ころ)した誰(だれ)かに……似(に)てないかい！

     Matsumoto…… Atashi o mite…… Atashi no kao o yōku mite…… Atashi no me o mite…… Atashi no kuchi o mite…… Mioboe nai kai?…… Anta ga koroshita dare ka ni…… nite nai kai!

     Matsumoto…… Look at me…… Take a good look at my face…… My eyes…… My mouth…… Don’t I look familiar to you?…… Like someone…… you murdered⁉

2. to look over, to examine, to judge
3. to take care of, to look after, to keep an eye on somebody
4. to view something, like paintings, flowers or a movie

   映(えい)画(が)を見(み)に行(い)く

   eiga o mi ni iku

   to go see a movie

   あの監(かん)督(とく)の映(えい)画(が)を見(み)たことはありません。

   Ano kantoku no eiga o mita koto wa arimasen.

   I haven't seen any of that director's movies before.

6. みる: (after the te form of a verb) to try to do (literally, “ see”)

   納豆(なっとう)を食(た)べてみませんか。

   Nattō o tabete mimasen ka.

   Why not try natto?

   死(し)ぬまで君(きみ)と生(い)きてみたいよ

   shinu made kimi to ikite mitai yo

   Until death I want to try to live with you

   怪(あや)しい扉(とびら)を開(あ)けてみたくないよ

   ayashī tobira o akete mitakunai yo

   I don't want to try to open the weird door!

• This auxiliary usage implies that the action has never been attempted by the subject.

• 視聴(しちょう)する (shichō suru)

• 見(み)せる (miseru, “to show”)
• 見(み)る影(かげ)もない (miru kage mo nai), 見(み)る影(かげ)も無(な)い (miru kage mo nai): mere shadow of one's former self; having no trace left of something great once possessed
• 夢(ゆめ)を見(み)る (yume o miru, “to have a dream”)
• 試(こころ)みる (kokoromiru, “to try; to taste”)
• 省(かえり)みる (kaerimiru, “to look back, reconsider”)

• 見(み)える (mieru)
• 診(み)る (miru), 看(み)る (miru), 観(み)る (miru), 視(み)る (miru)