～てみる – Trying Something Out in Japanese [JLPT N5]

Quick Summary

• Meaning: ～てみる means “to try doing something”. It is used when you do an action to see what happens, or to test an experience for the first time.
• How to Use: Change a verb to its V-て form, then add みる.

• 宇宙人にこのスープを食べてみます。
• Uchuujin ni kono suupu o tabete mimasu.
• I’ll try giving this soup a taste for the alien.

Overview

～てみる is one of the most useful beginner grammar points in Japanese. It means to try doing something, not in the sense of “make an effort,” but in the sense of do it and see.

For example, if you say 食べてみる, you mean “try eating it”. You will actually eat it, at least a little, to see how it is. Maybe it tastes great. Maybe it tastes like a sock. The point is that you are testing the action by doing it.

This grammar is often used when:

• you do something for the first time
• you want to see the result
• you are not sure, but you want to test it
• you want to encourage someone gently to try something

That last use is very common. If a friend is afraid of a strange snack, you can say 食べてみて！ to mean “Try it!”

The verb 見る (miru, to see) in this pattern does not keep its usual literal meaning of “see” with your eyes. In ～てみる, it works like a helper verb and adds the idea of trying an action as an experiment.

This nuance is important. ～てみる usually sounds lighter and more natural than saying you will “challenge” something. It often has a feeling of curiosity: let’s do it and find out.

Here are two short examples:

• この赤いボタンを押してみる。
• Kono akai botan o oshite miru.
• I’ll try pressing this red button.

• ねこに帽子をかぶせてみた。
• Neko ni boushi o kabusete mita.
• I tried putting a hat on the cat.

In both sentences, the speaker does the action to see what happens. That is the heart of ～てみる.

Structure / Formation

To make ～てみる, first change the verb into the V-て form. Then add みる.

• V-て + みる
• V-て + みます
• V-て + みた
• V-て + みて
• V-て + みたい

Basic Formation

The most important pattern is simple:

Dictionary form	て-form	With ～てみる
食べる	食べて	食べてみる
行く	行って	行ってみる
飲む	飲んで	飲んでみる
する	して	してみる
来る	来て	来てみる

If you already know the て-form, this grammar is easy to build. Just attach みる after it.

Tense and Politeness

Because みる behaves like a normal verb here, you can conjugate it to match the tense and style you need.

Pattern	Meaning
V-てみる	try doing
V-てみます	try doing (polite)
V-てみた	tried doing
V-てみて	try doing!
V-てみたい	want to try doing

For example:

• 明日、あの変なドアを開けてみます。
• Ashita, ano hen na doa o akete mimasu.
• Tomorrow, I’ll try opening that strange door.

• 空を飛んでみたいです。
• Sora o tonde mitai desu.
• I want to try flying in the sky.

What Kind of Verbs Work with It?

～てみる is used with action verbs. Since it means to try doing an action, it fits naturally with verbs like 食べる (taberu, to eat), 使う (tsukau, to use), 聞く (kiku, to listen/ask), or 押す (osu, to push).

It is especially common when someone is curious, unsure, or experimenting with something. You do not just think about the action—you actually try it.

How It Is Different from “Try Hard”

This pattern does not usually mean “try hard” or “make an effort” in a general sense. It means attempt the action and see the result.

So if you say 日本語を話してみる, it means “I’ll try speaking Japanese”, as in you will speak and see how it goes. It does not mainly focus on effort. It focuses on the experience.

Useful Usage Tip

～てみて is very common when giving a soft suggestion. It sounds friendly and encouraging, like “Give it a try” or “Why not try it?”

• このメガネをかけてみて。
• Kono megane o kakete mite.
• Try putting on these glasses.

This is a very natural way to invite someone to test something without sounding too strong.

Example Sentences

• この青いきのこを少し食べてみる。
• Kono aoi kinoko o sukoshi tabete miru.
• I’ll try eating a little of this blue mushroom.

• ねこがピアノをひいてみました。
• Neko ga piano o hiite mimashita.
• The cat tried playing the piano.

• その月のドアを開けてみて。
• Sono tsuki no doa o akete mite.
• Try opening that moon door.

• 明日、ドラゴンのとなりにすわってみたいです。
• Ashita, doragon no tonari ni suwatte mitai desu.
• Tomorrow, I want to try sitting next to a dragon.

• おじいさんは空のうえでラーメンを作ってみます。
• Ojiisan wa sora no ue de raamen o tsukutte mimasu.
• Grandpa will try making ramen up in the sky.

Quick Practice

(Answers and explanations are right under this section.)

Multiple-Choice

1. Choose the correct sentence for “I’ll try drinking this strange juice.”

• A. このへんなジュースを飲んでみます。(Kono hen na juusu o nonde mimasu.)
• B. このへんなジュースを飲みてみます。(Kono hen na juusu o nomite mimasu.)
• C. このへんなジュースを飲むとみます。(Kono hen na juusu o nomu to mimasu.)
• D. このへんなジュースを飲むでもみます。(Kono hen na juusu o nomu demo mimasu.)

2. Choose the best sentence for telling a friend, “Try sitting on this chair.”

• A. このいすにすわってみて。(Kono isu ni suwatte mite.)
• B. このいすにすわるみて。(Kono isu ni suwaru mite.)
• C. このいすにすわってと。(Kono isu ni suwatte to.)
• D. このいすにすわってなど。(Kono isu ni suwatte nado.)

3. Choose the correct sentence for “Yesterday, the dog tried opening the door.”

• A. きのう、いぬはドアを開けてみます。(Kinou, inu wa doa o akete mimasu.)
• B. きのう、いぬはドアを開けてみた。(Kinou, inu wa doa o akete mita.)
• C. きのう、いぬはドアを開けてみたい。(Kinou, inu wa doa o akete mitai.)
• D. きのう、いぬはドアを開けてや。(Kinou, inu wa doa o akete ya.)

4. Choose the correct sentence for “I want to try speaking Japanese with that robot.”

• A. あのロボットと日本語を話してみて。(Ano robotto to nihongo o hanashite mite.)
• B. あのロボットと日本語を話してみた。(Ano robotto to nihongo o hanashite mita.)
• C. あのロボットと日本語を話してみたいです。(Ano robotto to nihongo o hanashite mitai desu.)
• D. あのロボットと日本語を話すでも。(Ano robotto to nihongo o hanasu demo.)

5. Which sentence uses ～てみる naturally to mean “try and see”?

• A. まいにちパンを食べてみる。(Mainichi pan o tabete miru.)
• B. このあたらしいアプリを使ってみる。(Kono atarashii apuri o tsukatte miru.)
• C. いつも七時に起きてみる。(Itsumo shichi-ji ni okite miru.)
• D. 毎年さくらを見てみる。(Maitoshi sakura o mite miru.)

Spot-the-Error

6. Which sentence has a grammar mistake?

• A. そのあかいボタンを押してみて。(Sono akai botan o oshite mite.)
• B. わたしはそのぼうしをかぶってみたいです。(Watashi wa sono boushi o kabutte mitai desu.)
• C. ねこがさかなを食べるみた。(Neko ga sakana o taberu mita.)

7. Which sentence has a grammar mistake?

• A. あした、そのみせに行ってみます。(Ashita, sono mise ni itte mimasu.)
• B. このうたを聞いてみてください。(Kono uta o kiite mite kudasai.)
• C. わたしは日本語を話してみるたいです。(Watashi wa nihongo o hanashite miru tai desu.)

Translation

8. Translate into Japanese using ～てみる: “I will try eating natto tomorrow.”

9. Translate into Japanese using ～てみる: “Please try reading this book.”

10. Translate into Japanese using ～てみる: “My little sister wanted to try riding a horse.”

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Answers and Explanations

1. このへんなジュースを飲んでみます。(Kono hen na juusu o nonde mimasu.) — 飲む changes to the て-form 飲んで, then takes みます.
2. このいすにすわってみて。(Kono isu ni suwatte mite.) — ～てみて is a very natural way to tell someone to try something.
3. きのう、いぬはドアを開けてみた。(Kinou, inu wa doa o akete mita.) — The sentence is in the past, so ～てみた is the correct form.
4. あのロボットと日本語を話してみたいです。(Ano robotto to nihongo o hanashite mitai desu.) — ～てみたいです means “want to try doing.”
5. このあたらしいアプリを使ってみる。(Kono atarashii apuri o tsukatte miru.) — This clearly shows trying something new to see how it is.
6. ねこがさかなを食べるみた。(Neko ga sakana o taberu mita.) — This is wrong because ～てみる must attach to the て-form, so it should be 食べてみた.
7. わたしは日本語を話してみるたいです。(Watashi wa nihongo o hanashite miru tai desu.) — This is wrong because “want to try” is ～てみたい, not ～てみるたい.
8. あした、納豆を食べてみます。(Ashita, nattou o tabete mimasu.) — Use the て-form 食べて plus みます for a polite future meaning.
9. この本を読んでみてください。(Kono hon o yonde mite kudasai.) — ～てみてください politely means “please try doing.”
10. いもうとは馬に乗ってみたかったです。(Imouto wa uma ni notte mitakatta desu.) — ～てみたかったです expresses that someone wanted to try doing something in the past.