Japanese

かいまみる
Meaning: to catch a glimpse of; to get a peek at; to see a part of
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

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Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 垣間見る 垣間見ない
Polite 垣間見ます 垣間見ません
Past 垣間見た 垣間見なかった
Polite + Past 垣間見ました 垣間見ませんでした
Te-form 垣間見て 垣間見なくて
Potential 垣間見られる 垣間見られない
Passive 垣間見られる 垣間見られない
Causative 垣間見させる 垣間見させない
Imperative 垣間見ろ 垣間見るな

Handwriting

垣
間
見
る

Example

In his casual remark, I felt I caught a glimpse of his kindness.

Usage Notes

Originally meant to peek through a gap in a fence (kaki). Now used figuratively to see a hidden side or a portion of someone's character or a situation.

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