How do you say "to look at" in Japanese?

見る

miru

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to look at" is 見る (miru).

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Pronunciation

見る is written using kanji. Romanised as miru, it sounds roughly like "mee-roo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 見 also means to look at or examine when used with an object, though the kanji itself remains the same.

Example sentence

子供たちは見ますのが楽しそうです。

Kodomotachi wa mimasu no ga tanoshisou desu.

The children seem to enjoy look ating.

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How to remember 見る

Directing attention with eyes. Picture focusing your gaze on a specific person or object.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 見る

How do you pronounce 見る?

見る is romanised as miru. Say it roughly like "mee-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 見る formal or casual?

見る is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 見る written in Japanese?

見る is written using kanji. The kanji 見 also means to look at or examine when used with an object, though the kanji itself remains the same..

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"To look at" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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