見せる
見せる · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 見せる | 見せない |
| Polite | 見せます | 見せません |
| Past polite | 見せました | 見せませんでした |
| Past | 見せた | 見せなかった |
| Te-form | 見せて | 見せないで |
| Desire | 見せたい | 見せたくない |
| Potential | 見せられるalso 見せれる | 見せられないalso 見せれない |
| Passive | 見せられる | 見せられない |
| Causative | 見せさせる | 見せさせない |
| Causative passive | 見せさせられる | 見せさせられない |
| Volitional | 見せよう | |
| Polite volitional | 見せましょう | |
| Imperative | 見せろ | 見せるな |
| Conditional | 見せれば | 見せなければ |
| Tara conditional | 見せたら | 見せなかったら |
Meanings
ichidan verb, transitive verb
show; display; let someone see
Basic transitive use: show an object, document, expression, result, or scene to someone. Common pattern: 人に物を見せる.
I showed the photo to my friend.
Please show me your ID.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
make look; make appear; present as
Used when something creates a certain appearance or impression, often with adjectives or adjectival phrases such as 大きく見せる, 若く見せる, or 元気そうに見せる.
Black clothes make the body look slimmer.
She did not show her anxiety and kept a calm face.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
be worth watching; be entertaining; make a good show
Evaluative use for a performance, game, film, or similar thing that holds the viewer's attention. Often appears in phrases such as 見せる演技 or Xは最後まで見せる.
It was a watchable, compelling performance, hard to believe it came from a young actor.
This film is not flashy, but it keeps you watching to the end.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
have looked at by a specialist; have appraised
Means taking or showing something to an expert so they can inspect, judge, or appraise it. Common with 専門家, 鑑定士, and items such as antiques or documents.
I had an appraiser look at my grandfather's old watch.
You should have a specialist look at the contract before signing it.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
take to a doctor; have examined by a doctor
Only when written 見せる / 診せる
Medical version of the previous idea: have a person, injury, symptom, or pet looked at by a doctor or veterinarian. 診せる is a noted spelling for this sense.
The fever continued, so I took my child to the doctor.
You should have a doctor look at that leg injury soon.
auxiliary verb, ichidan verb
make a show of doing; do conspicuously; do in front of others
Auxiliary verb after the te-form: 〜てみせる. Here it means doing something visibly or deliberately so that others notice, often with a performative or demonstrative feel.
He deliberately laughed in front of everyone.
The teacher demonstrated the solution by writing it on the board.
auxiliary verb, ichidan verb
definitely do; do at any cost; show that one will do
Auxiliary verb after the te-form: 〜てみせる. This expresses strong determination to accomplish something and prove it to oneself or others.
I will definitely win the next match.
Someday I will have my own shop, no matter what.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉に〈物〉を見せるto show something to someone
I showed my new camera to a friend.
- 〈形容詞〉く見せるto make something or someone look a certain way
This outfit makes her look younger.
- 見せる〈物〉something (a performance, game, etc.) that is genuinely worth watching
His performances always captivate the audience.
- 〈人〉を医者に見せるto take someone to be examined by a doctor
Since the fever wouldn't go down, I took my child to the doctor.
- 〈動詞〉てみせるto do something to prove one's ability or determination
He pulled off the difficult move to prove he could do it.