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: 食べてみる (try eating), 行ってみる (try going), 読んでみる (try reading)
📘 Examples in Action
Let’s take a look at some simple and useful examples:
🍣 食べてみる – Try eating
- 寿司を食べてみました。
→ I tried eating sushi.
🚶 行ってみる – Try going
- その店に行ってみます。
→ I’ll try going to that store.
🗣️ 話してみる – Try speaking
- 日本語で話してみてください。
→ 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 |
---|---|---|---|
食べる (to eat) | 食べて | 食べてみる | try eating |
行く (to go) | 行って | 行ってみる | try going |
飲む (to drink) | 飲んで | 飲んでみる | try drinking |
話す (to speak) | 話して | 話してみる | try speaking |
✅ Note: みる here is not the verb 見る (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?
- 初めてラーメンを(___)。
- この漢字を(___)ください。
- 富士山に(___)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!
- 着物を着てみたいです。
→ 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:
- 日本のカレーを作ってみました!🍛
- 日本語で日記を書いてみたいです✏️
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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