てみる

Try Doing

Level 2Sounds Like temiru

The pattern 〜てみる means 'to try doing' something to see how it goes. It focuses on the discovery or result that follows the action.

How It Works

The auxiliary verb 〜てみる is used when you perform an action to 'test the waters' or see what happens next.

Key Characteristics:

  • Discovery: Unlike the English 'try to,' which often implies effort or potential failure, 〜てみる implies the action is actually carried out to gain new information (e.g., 'I tried the cake to see if it was sweet').
  • Softening Requests: When used as 〜てみてください, it makes a suggestion sound less like a command and more like a friendly 'why don't you give it a shot?'
  • Writing: While the verb 'to see' is 見る, this auxiliary pattern is almost always written in hiragana as みる.

Conjugation:
Since みる is an Ichidan verb, it conjugates easily:

  • Present: 食べてみる (try eating)
  • Past: 食べてみた (tried eating)
  • Negative: 食べてみない (won't try eating)
  • Desire: 食べてみたい (want to try eating)

Examples (5)

  1. おいしそうだから、食べてみます。

    It looks delicious, so I will try eating it (to see how it tastes).

    Word by Word: Delicious-looking because, eat-try.

    The speaker is eating the food specifically to discover its flavor.

  2. 新しい靴を履いてみたけど、ちょっと小さかったです。

    I tried on the new shoes, but they were a bit small.

    Word by Word: New shoes (object) wear-tried but, a little small was.

    The past tense 〜てみた shows the trial was completed, and the result was that they were too small.

  3. 一度日本に行ってみたいです。

    I want to try going to Japan once (to see what it's like).

    Word by Word: One time Japan to go-want-to-try.

    Combining with 〜たい expresses a desire to experience something for the first time.

  4. この漢字を書いてみてください。

    Please try writing this kanji.

    Word by Word: This kanji (object) write-try please.

    Using 〜てください makes the request sound like a gentle suggestion to 'give it a go.'

  5. 分からないけど、やってみるよ。

    I don't know (if I can), but I'll give it a try.

    Word by Word: Don't know but, do-try.

    Here, the speaker is willing to attempt the action to see if they can succeed.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 〜てみる for failed attempts where the action didn't happen.

    漢字を書こうとしたけど、書いてみたけど書けなかった。
    漢字を書こうとしたけど、書けなかった。

    〜てみる implies you actually performed the action. If you tried to write but couldn't even start, use 〜ようとする instead.

  • Using 〜てみたい for things you have already experienced many times.

    また京都に行ってみたいです。
    また京都に行きたいです。

    If you have already been to Kyoto and know what it's like, you should just use 〜たい. Use 〜てみたい only if you are going for the first time or in a completely new way.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

てみるLevel 2Try Doing

Learn This First

To use 'te miru' (try doing), you must first be able to conjugate verbs into the te-form. This requires knowledge of verb groups and general verb concepts. The pattern combines a main verb in its te-form with the auxiliary verb 'miru' to express the idea of attempting an action to see the result.

Words in This Pattern