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How to Use ~てみる to Say “Try Doing Something”

When you’re learning Japanese, you might want to say things like “I tried eating sushi” or “Why don’t you try speaking Japanese?” In Japanese, we use ~てみる to express the idea of trying to do something.

Let’s break it down and learn how to use it in daily conversation!


✅ What is ~てみる?

The grammar point ~てみる is used when you try something and see what happens. It’s like saying “try doing [something]” in English.

🔹 Verb (て-form) + みる
🔸 Example: べてみる (try eating), ってみる (try going), んでみる (try reading)


📘 Examples in Action

Let’s take a look at some simple and useful examples:

🍣 べてみる – Try eating

  • 寿司すしべてみました。
    → I tried eating sushi.

🚶 ってみる – Try going

  • そのみせってみます。
    → I’ll try going to that store.

🗣️ はなしてみる – Try speaking

  • 日本語にほんごはなしてみてください。
    → Please try speaking in Japanese.

🔄 How to Change the Verb

Use the て-form of the verb, then just add みる.

Dictionary Formて-form+ みるMeaning
べる (to eat)べてべてみるtry eating
く (to go)ってってみるtry going
む (to drink)んでんでみるtry drinking
はなす (to speak)はなしてはなしてみるtry speaking

✅ Note: みる here is not the verb る (to see), even though it sounds the same. It acts like a helping verb to mean “try doing.”


📝 Practice Sentences

Can you complete these with the correct て-form + みる?

  1. はじめてラーメンを(___)。
  2. この漢字かんじを(___)ください。
  3. 富士山ふじさんに(___)たいです。

🎯 Bonus Tip: 〜てみたい = Want to try

Want to express “I want to try doing something”? Just add たい to 〜てみる!

  • 着物きものてみたいです。
    → I want to try wearing a kimono.

🗨️ Let’s Practice!

Write a sentence using ~てみる!
What’s something new you’ve tried recently? Or something you want to try in Japanese?

Examples:

  • 日本にほんのカレーをつくってみました!🍛
  • 日本語にほんご日記にっきいてみたいです✏️

Learning ~てみる opens up so many ways to express curiosity and new experiences. So go ahead—try using ~てみる in your next Japanese conversation!

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