観(み)る

みる
verb (ichidan)
to watch; to view (a performance, show, or spectacle)
他動詞 transitivecognitionentertainmentaction
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present観(み)る観(み)ない
Present polite観(み)ます観(み)ません
Past観(み)た観(み)なかった
Past polite観(み)ました観(み)ませんでした
て form観(み)て観(み)なくて
ている present観(み)ている観(み)ていない
ている polite観(み)ています観(み)ていません
ている past観(み)ていた観(み)ていなかった
ている past polite観(み)ていました観(み)ていませんでした
Conditional ば観(み)れば観(み)なければ
Conditional たら観(み)たら観(み)なかったら
Volitional観(み)よう—
Volitional polite観(み)ましょう—
Potential観(み)られる観(み)られない
Passive観(み)られる観(み)られない
Causative観(み)させる観(み)させない
Imperative観(み)ろ観(み)るな
1. to watch; to view (a performance, film, show, or spectacle)
To watch something as a spectator, particularly performances, movies, plays, and other forms of entertainment.
映画(えいが)を観(み)に行(い)く。
To go watch a movie.
昨日(きのう)テレビでドラマを観(み)た。
I watched a drama on TV yesterday.
歌舞伎(かぶき)を観(み)るのは初(はじ)めてだったので、とても感動(かんどう)した。
It was my first time watching kabuki, so I was very moved.

The kanji 観(み)る specifically refers to watching as a spectator — viewing performances, shows, films, and spectacles. While 見(み)る is the general-purpose "to see/look at," 観(み)る implies appreciating or taking in something meant to be watched.

Writing

  • 見(み)る: general seeing, looking at anything
  • 観(み)る: watching performances, shows, movies, spectacles
  • 診(み)る: examining (medical)
  • 視(み)る: inspecting, observing (formal)

In casual writing, 見(み)る or hiragana みる is often used for all meanings. 観(み)る is preferred in more careful or literary writing when referring to entertainment.

Common collocations

Similar words

Related Words

Related: 視聴(しちょう) (viewing (formal))
Homophone: 見(み)る (to see, to look at)
Compare: 鑑賞(かんしょう) (to appreciate)
Compare: 観覧(かんらん) (to view, to watch)
Compare: 眺(なが)める (to gaze at, to look at, to view)
Compare: 視聴(しちょう)する (to watch)
general
Added 2026.4.8 1:42 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
22500/22793_miru