Japanese has several ways to say “can see” and “can hear,” and choosing the wrong one can slightly (or completely) change the meaning of your sentence.
In this post, we’ll break down the differences and proper usage of 見みえる / 見みられる and 聞きける / 聞きこえる, with simple explanations and examples.

1️⃣ 見みえる — “It is visible / I can see”

見みえる describes something that comes into your sight naturally, without effort or intention.

Key idea

👉 The focus is on the result, not your action.

Common situations

• Something is visible from a place
• Something appears to your eyes
• Physical or emotional perception

Examples

• 山やまが見みえます。
  I can see the mountain.
• ここから富士山ふじさんが見みえる。
  You can see Mt. Fuji from here.
• 彼かれは疲つかれて見みえる。
  He looks tired.

✅ You are not trying to see—it just appears.

2️⃣ 見みられる — “Can look / Can watch / Is allowed to see”

見みられる is the potential or passive form of 見みる.

Key ideas

• Ability: can watch / can look
• Permission: is allowed to see
• Passive meaning: is seen by others

Examples (Ability / Permission)

• この映画えいがはネットで見みられます。
  This movie can be watched online.
• その資料しりょうは誰だれでも見みられます。
  Anyone can see those materials.

Examples (Passive)

• 彼かれに見みられた。
  I was seen by him.

📝 Unlike 見みえる, 見みられる implies intention, action, or permission.

3️⃣ 聞きこえる — “It is audible / I can hear”

聞きこえる describes sounds that reach your ears naturally.

Key idea

👉 You are not trying to listen—the sound comes to you.

Examples

• 音楽おんがくが聞きこえる。
  I can hear music.
• 隣となりの部屋へやから声こえが聞きこえてくる。
  I can hear voices from the next room.
• よく聞きこえません。
  I can’t hear well.

✅ No effort or choice involved.

4️⃣ 聞きける — “Can listen / Have the chance to hear”

聞きける is the potential form of 聞きく and focuses on ability, opportunity, or permission.

Key ideas

• Ability: can listen
• Opportunity: get to hear
• Permission: allowed to listen

Examples

• 明日あした、彼かれの話はなしが聞きける。
  I’ll be able to hear his story tomorrow.
• このアプリで音楽おんがくが聞きけます。
  You can listen to music with this app.

📝 Listening requires intention, so 聞きける is used when effort or opportunity is involved.

🔍 Quick Comparison Table

✨ Final Thoughts

• 見みえる / 聞きこえる → natural perception, no effort
• 見みられる / 聞きける → ability, intention, opportunity, or permission

Mastering these pairs will make your Japanese sound much more natural and precise.

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