JLPT N1WrittenNews and stories

とみると・とみてon judging that; taking it that

とみると and とみるや tell a story: someone sizes things up and reacts at once. とみて is the news form: the police or a company takes something to be so and acts on it. In both, みる is to judge, not to look.

sizes up, reacts

相あい手てが弱よわいとみると、彼かれは急きゅうに態たい度どを変かえた。

Once he saw that the other side was weak, his manner suddenly changed.

the news form

警けい察さつは殺さつ人じん事じ件けんとみて、捜そう査さを進すすめている。

Police are treating it as murder and are investigating.

Sizing up, then reacting

Plain form + とみると／とみるや

とみるや is the sharper one, "the instant", and more written. A noun or a な-adjective can drop だ: 不ふ利り（だ）とみるや. Also written と見みると.

The news form

Plain form + とみて　／　A を B とみて

A noun can drop だ here too: 殺さつ人じん事じ件けんとみて. A を B とみて is "taking A to be B". Ending a sentence: とみている. With nobody named: とみられる, "is believed to".

とみると・とみるや: sizing up, then reacting

Met in novels and other storytelling, mostly about someone else, and the reaction is often a calculating one. To a friend you would say とわかると: 弱よわいとわかると、急きゅうに態たい度どを変かえたんだ.

勝かち目めがないとみるや、彼かれはさっさと手てを引ひいた。

The instant he saw he couldn't win, he pulled out.

子こどもは、母はは親おやが怒おこっていないとみると、またいたずらを始はじめた。

Once the child saw that his mother wasn't angry, he started playing up again.

とみて: the news form

Who is judging comes first: the police, an agency, a company. とみて gives their working view, which isn't proven, and then what they are doing on the strength of it. It is one to read; in your own writing, と考かんがえて.

警けい察さつは防ぼう犯はんカメラの映えい像ぞうから、犯はん人にんは駅えきに向むかったとみて、周しゅう辺へんの聞きき込こみを進すすめている。

From security-camera footage, police believe the suspect headed for the station, and are making inquiries in the area.

会かい社しゃは海かい外がいでの需じゅ要ようが来らい年ねんも伸のびるとみて、新しん工こう場じょうの建けん設せつを決きめた。

Expecting overseas demand to keep growing next year, the company has decided to build a new factory.

政せい府ふは、影えい響きょうは限げん定てい的てきだとみている。

The government takes the view that the impact will be limited.

火ひは台だい所どころから出でたとみられる。

The fire is believed to have started in the kitchen.

Close neighbours

とみえるN2

One kana more, and a different thing: the narrator's own "evidently", from what is in front of them. Nobody acts on it.

子こどもたちはよほど疲つかれたとみえて、すぐ寝ねてしまった。

The children were evidently worn out: they fell asleep straight away.

ところを見るとN2

Your own guess from something you saw. The sign comes first and the guess ends the sentence. Said in conversation too.

電でん気きが消きえているところを見みると、留る守すのようだ。

The lights are off, so it looks as if nobody is home.

と考えられるN2

とみられる belongs to the news. A paper or a report writes と考かんがえられる: a conclusion reasoned from evidence.

以い上じょうの条じょう件けんから、主おもな原げん因いんは設せつ備びの老ろう朽きゅう化かだと考かんがえられる。

From the conditions above, the main cause is thought to be the aging of the equipment.

Check yourself

1Has it been confirmed that the man got away in a stolen car?

警けい察さつは、男おとこが盗ぬすんだ車くるまで逃にげたとみて、行方ゆくえを追おっている。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does 買かわないとみるや tell you?

店てん員いんは、客きゃくが買かわないとみるや、別べつの客きゃくのほうへ行いってしまった。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

形けい勢せいが不ふ利りとみるや、彼かれはすぐに話わ題だいを変かえた。

The instant he saw things were going against him, he changed the subject.

調ちょう査さ委い員いん会かいは配はい線せんの劣れっ化かを出しゅっ火か原げん因いんとみて、同どう型けい設せつ備びの点てん検けんを求もとめた。

The investigating committee took deteriorated wiring to be the cause of the fire, and called for checks on equipment of the same type.

気き象しょう庁ちょうは最さい新しんの観かん測そくデータから、台たい風ふうが東ひがしへ進すすむとみて、沿えん岸がん部ぶに警けい戒かいを呼よびかけた。

From the latest observation data, the Meteorological Agency judged that the typhoon would move east, and urged coastal areas to be on the alert.

市しは上じょう流りゅうの雨う量りょうから川かわの水すい位いがさらに上あがるとみて、避ひ難なん所じょを開かい設せつした。

Going by the rainfall upstream, the city expected the river to rise further and opened evacuation centers.