Japanese

せる

みせる
Meaning: to show, to display
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 見せる 見せない
Polite 見せます 見せません
Past 見せた 見せなかった
Polite + Past 見せました 見せませんでした
Te-form 見せて 見せなくて
Potential 見せられる 見せられない
Passive 見せられる 見せられない
Causative 見せさせる 見せさせない
Imperative 見せろ 見せるな

Handwriting

見
せ
る

Example sentences

Please show me the new photos.
よし、今度こそ絶対に成功させてみせる。
Alright, this time I will definitely make it a success.
職人が長年磨き上げた技を見せる。
The craftsman shows the skills he has polished over many years.
彼は悲しい素振りを全く見せなかった。
He didn't show any sign of sadness at all.
彼は剣道の試合で鋭い構えを見せた。
He showed a sharp stance in the Kendo match.
狭い部屋を広く見せるために、いろいろな工夫をしています。
I am thinking up various ways to make my small room look larger.
彼は誠意を見せるために、社長の前で土下座した。
He prostrated himself before the president to show his sincerity.
彼は見事な跳躍を見せた。
He showed a magnificent jump.
無様な姿を見せたくない。
I don't want to show such an unsightly appearance.
ひとしきり泣いた後、彼女は笑顔を見せた。
After crying for a while, she showed a smile.

Usage Notes

見せる is the transitive form of 見る (to see). It means to show something to someone, making it visible or available for viewing. Often used with て-form for polite requests.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.