見みつける

ichidan verb, transitive verb

find; discover; spot; come across

The basic transitive sense: to find or notice something, often after looking for it or unexpectedly coming across it.

• なくした鍵かぎを机つくえの下したで見みつけた。

  I found the key I had lost under the desk.

• 駅えき前まえでいいカフェを見みつけた。

  I found a nice cafe in front of the station.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

catch someone doing; discover someone in the act

A constructional extension of the finding sense, often used as 〜しているところを見つける or in the passive 見つけられる.

• 母ははは弟おとうとがケーキをつまみ食ぐいしているところを見みつけた。

  My mother caught my younger brother sneaking bites of the cake.

• カンニングしているところを先せん生せいに見みつけられた。

  I was caught cheating by the teacher.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

be used to seeing; be familiar with

Rare and old-fashioned compared with 見慣れる; most likely to be encountered in negative expressions such as 見つけない顔, meaning an unfamiliar face.

• 古ふるい小しょう説せつで「見みつけない顔かおだ」とあれば、「見み慣なれない顔かおだ」という意い味みに近ちかい。

  If an old novel says “見つけない顔だ,” it is close in meaning to “an unfamiliar face.”