見みえる

み

え

る

見える · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	見みえる	見みえない
Polite	見みえます	見みえません
Past polite	見みえました	見みえませんでした
Past	見みえた	見みえなかった
Te-form	見みえて	見みえないで
Desire	見みえたい	見みえたくない
Potential	見みえられるalso 見みえれる	見みえられないalso 見みえれない
Passive	見みえられる	見みえられない
Causative	見みえさせる	見みえさせない
Causative passive	見みえさせられる	見みえさせられない
Volitional	見みえよう
Polite volitional	見みえましょう
Imperative	見みえろ	見みえるな
Conditional	見みえれば	見みえなければ
Tara conditional	見みえたら	見みえなかったら

Pairs with見る

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be visible; be seen; be in sight

Describes something coming into view or being within sight. Often used with potential nuance: 'can see'.

ここから富ふ士じ山さんが見みえる。
You can see Mt. Fuji from here.
窓まどの外そとに海うみが見みえる。
The sea is visible outside the window.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

look; seem; appear

Expresses an impression or judgment based on appearance. Often used with adjectives or in the form 〜ように見える.

彼かれは元げん気きそうに見みえる。
He looks well.
この問もん題だいは難むずかしく見みえるが、実じつは簡かん単たんだ。
This problem looks difficult, but it's actually easy.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

come (honorific)

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Honorific expression for 'to come', used to show respect to the subject. Often in the form お見えになる.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉から〈物もの〉が見みえるX is visible from place Y
この部屋へやの窓まどから富ふ士じ山さんが見みえる。
You can see Mt. Fuji from the window of this room.
〜ように見みえるit looks/seems as if...
彼かれは少すこし疲つかれているように見みえる。
He looks a little tired.
〈形けい容よう詞し〉く見みえるto look/appear (adjective)
この服ふくを着きると背せが高たかく見みえる。
Wearing these clothes makes you look tall.

Expressions· 14

先さきが見みえるsee how things will turn out; envision the outcome · have foresight; be able to see the future
山やまが見みえるsee the light at the end of the tunnel; have the end in sight
目めが見みえるcan see; be able to see
目めに見みえてvisibly; noticeably; remarkably
目めに見みえるbe visible; can be seen · be clear; be evident; be obvious

Show 3 more

若わかく見みえるlook young; seem young
顔かおが見みえるidentifiable; personalized; with a human touch
ああ見みえてもdespite appearances; even though they look that way

See all 14 in Explore →

Grammar

Kanji

見see, hopes, chances
視inspection, regard as, see

Transitive / intransitive

見みるN5sense 1
見える describes something being visible on its own, while 見る is the transitive verb for the deliberate act of looking at or watching something.
見みせるN5
見える is the intransitive partner meaning 'to be visible/seen', while 見せる is the transitive verb meaning 'to show'.

Related words

いらっしゃるN5sense 3
Both are honorific for 'to come', but いらっしゃる is the more common, general honorific verb while 見える in this sense is a softer, somewhat old-fashioned honorific often paired with お見えになる.
思おもわれる
見える describes how something looks based on visual evidence, while 思われる expresses an impression formed through reasoning or judgment.
見み受うける
見える is intransitive and simply means something looks a certain way or is visible, whereas 見受ける is transitive and implies the speaker actively forms a judgment from observation.
現あらわれるN3
見える describes the state of being visible or able to be seen, while 現れる describes the event of something coming into view.
思おもえる
見える describes how something looks based on visual evidence, whereas 思える conveys a more subjective, reasoned impression.

Opposites

隠かくれるN4sense 1
見える means something is visible or in sight, while 隠れる means it is hidden from view.

Politeness

来くるplainN5sense 3
来る is the plain, neutral verb for 'to come', while 見える is its honorific counterpart used to show respect toward the person arriving.
参まいるhumble 謙譲語N4sense 3
参る is the humble form used when the speaker themselves comes or goes, while 見える is the honorific form used for someone else's arrival.

Don't confuse with

見みせるN5
見える (intransitive, 'to be visible') and 見せる (transitive, 'to show') look and sound similar but differ in whether the subject is seen or does the showing.
消きえるN5
消える means 'to disappear' while 見える means 'to be visible'; learners often mix up these similarly-formed opposite-meaning verbs.

Word family· 14

丸まる見みえ
completely visible; in plain sight; fully exposed
見みえ隠かくれ
appearing and disappearing; slipping in and out of view
見みえ見みえ
obvious; transparent; see-through
お目め見みえ
audience (with a superior); interview · first public appearance; debut; coming out · trial service (of a servant); probation · audience with a shogun (Edo period); right to such an audience
目め見みえ
interview; audition · stage debut; first appearance · meeting (humble) · trial for a servant

Show 8 more

相見あいまみえ
face-to-face encounter; meeting in person
仄ほの見みえる
be faintly visible; be barely visible
見みえる化か
visualization; making visible; digitization
見みえ透すく
be transparent; be obvious; be easily seen through
見みえざる手て
invisible hand
見みえづらい
hard to see; indistinct; illegible
見みえにくい
hard to see; difficult to see; obscured
見みえ始はじめる
come into view; begin to be visible

See all 14 in Explore →

Written forms

見みえるUsage91%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
みえるUsage9%
視みえるUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not used in normal writing.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 見る (to see) with the intransitive/potential suffix ゆ (historical) evolving into える, indicating spontaneous or passive visibility.