〜てみる

Property	Value
Pattern	〜てみる
JLPT Level	N4
Type	attempt / trial
Formality	Neutral
Register	Both (Spoken and Written)

Meaning

The pattern 〜てみる (te-miru) is used to express that someone is "trying to do" an action to see what happens, or to experience the result of that action. It implies a sense of experimentation, curiosity, or testing something out to see if it is good, bad, or interesting.

Structure Formula

[Verb Te-form] + みる

Conjugation: Take the verb in its Te-form (e.g., 食べる → 食べて, 行く → 行って) and attach みる (miru).
Politeness: You can conjugate miru to be polite (〜てみます) or past tense (〜てみました).
Restrictions: This pattern is only used with verbs. It cannot be used with nouns or adjectives.

Detailed Explanation

Core Meaning: The literal translation of miru is "to see." When combined with the te-form of a verb, it literally means "to do [verb] and see [the result]." It is used when you are trying something for the first time, or when you want to evaluate the outcome of an action.
Nuance: It adds a nuance of "giving it a shot." It is often used when you are unsure about something and want to test it. For example, if you are unsure if a dish is spicy, you might "eat it to see" (tabete miru).
Formality: This is a very common, neutral pattern. It is perfectly acceptable in both casual conversation and formal business settings (when conjugated as 〜てみます).
Usage Context: It is frequently used for:
- Trying food or drink.
- Testing a new piece of technology or software.
- Visiting a place to see what it is like.
- Attempting a task to see if it is difficult or easy.

Example Sentences

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
このケーキを食べてみる。	このケーキをたべてみる。	Kono kēki o tabete miru.	I'll try eating this cake.
日本語で話してみます。	にほんごではなしてみます。	Nihongo de hanashite mimasu.	I will try speaking in Japanese.
映画を見てみました。	えいがをみてみました。	Eiga o mite mimashita.	I tried watching the movie.
難しいけど、やってみる。	むずかしいけど、やってみる。	Muzukashii kedo, yatte miru.	It's difficult, but I'll give it a try.
先生に聞いてみましょう。	せんせいにきいてみましょう。	Sensei ni kiite mimashō.	Let's try asking the teacher.
この服を着てみてもいいですか。	このふくをきてみてもいいですか。	Kono fuku o kite mite mo ii desu ka.	May I try wearing these clothes?
実際にそこへ行ってみた。	じっさいにそこへいってみた。	Jissai ni soko e itte mita.	I actually went there to see what it was like.
ネットで調べてみました。	ねっとでしらべてみました。	Netto de shirabete mimashita.	I tried looking it up on the internet.

Comparison with Similar Patterns

〜てみる vs 〜ておく

〜てみる focuses on the experience or result of an action.
〜ておく focuses on preparation (doing something in advance).

Pattern	Nuance	Example
〜てみる	Try it out	読んでみる (Read it to see how it is)
〜ておく	Prepare it	読んでおく (Read it in advance for later)

〜てみる vs 〜とする

〜てみる is about trying something to see the result.
〜とする (or 〜ようとする) is about the attempt/effort to do something, regardless of the result.

Common Mistakes

Using with Nouns: You cannot attach miru directly to a noun. ❌ 寿司をみる → ✓ 寿司を食べてみる (You must use the verb "to eat").
Confusing with "Seeing": Beginners sometimes think miru always means "to look at." In this grammar, miru is an auxiliary verb meaning "to try."
Tense Mismatch: Remember that miru conjugates like any other verb. If you tried it yesterday, use 〜てみました.

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blank (use the correct form of 〜てみる):

この本は面白いから、____ (read).
ズボンが合うか、____ (try on).
昨日の夜、新しい料理を ____ (try cooking).
分からないから、友達に ____ (try asking).
忙しいけど、このゲームを ____ (try playing).

Answer Key:

読んでみて (Yonde mite) - "Read it to see."
着てみる (Kite miru) - "Try wearing/trying on."
作ってみました (Tsukutte mimashita) - "Tried making (past)."
聞いてみる (Kiite miru) - "Try asking."
やってみる (Yatte miru) - "Try doing/playing."

JLPT Level Notes

In the JLPT N4, this pattern often appears in reading comprehension or sentence-ordering tasks. Look for keywords like "初めて" (first time) or "〜かどうか" (whether or not), which frequently accompany 〜てみる because they describe the uncertainty that leads to "trying" something.