Show, I'll prove it: 〜てみせる
Verb in て + みせる
Verb in て + みせる: demonstrating in front of someone, or declaring forcefully that you'll succeed. Not to be confused with 〜てみる (to try).
In short
〜てみせる has two meanings. The first: doing something in front of someone to show them how (a demonstration). The second: declaring forcefully that you're going to succeed, as a challenge thrown down to others and to yourself (“just you watch!”).
- 先生が茶わんの持ち方をやってみせてくれた。せんせいがちゃわんのもちかたをやってみせてくれた。The teacher showed me how to hold the tea bowl.
- 次の試合では、絶対に勝ってみせる。つぎのしあいでは、ぜったいにかってみせる。I'm definitely going to win the next match.
- 来年こそ、試験に合格してみせます。らいねんこそ、しけんにごうかくしてみせます。Next year, I'll pass the exam — you'll see.
The basics
見せる means “to show”. Attached to a verb in the て-form, it keeps that idea: you do the action before someone's eyes. Hence two uses: demonstration (I'll show you how it's done) and challenge (I'll show you I can do it) — like English “show” in both “show you how” and “I'll show them!”.
I'm definitely going to win.
- other
- verb
- grammatical form
- 子どもに自転車の乗り方をやってみせた。こどもにじてんしゃののりかたをやってみせた。I showed my child how to ride a bike.
- ばかにした人たちを、いつか見返してみせる。ばかにしたひとたちを、いつかみかえしてみせる。One day, I'll prove all those who laughed at me wrong.
Demonstration or determination
Demonstration: often with やる (やってみせる), in any tense, and with 〜てくれる / 〜てあげる. Determination: almost always in the dictionary form, first person, with 絶対に, 必ず, 今度こそ. There's always an audience, real or imagined, you want to prove something to.
| Use | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| demonstration | doing it in front of someone to show them | 使い方をやってみせる |
| determination | I'll do it, just you watch | 必ず合格してみせる |
- お手本として、一度歌ってみせましょう。おてほんとして、いちどうたってみせましょう。To give you an example, I'll sing it once.
- 今年こそ、十キロ痩せてみせる！ことしこそ、じゅっきろやせてみせる！This year, I'm going to lose ten kilos — you'll see!
〜てみせる, 〜てみる, 見せる
〜てみる (seen at N5) means “try and see”: you don't know how it'll turn out. 〜てみせる is the exact opposite: you're sure of yourself. 見せる on its own is used with an object: 写真を見せる (to show a photo).
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てみる | try and see | 食べてみる (taste) |
| 〜てみせる | show / I'll do it | 勝ってみせる |
| Noun を見せる | show an object | 写真を見せる |
- 一度、着物を着てみたい。いちど、きものをきてみたい。I'd like to try wearing a kimono some time.
- 友達に旅行の写真を見せた。ともだちにりょこうのしゃしんをみせた。I showed a friend the photos from my trip.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up みせる and みる: 勝ってみる (“try to win”) has nothing like the force of 勝ってみせる (“I'm going to win”).
- Using the “challenge” meaning for someone else: 彼は勝ってみせる sounds odd; it's a promise you make yourself.
- Writing 見せる in kanji in 〜てみせる: like 〜てみる, it's usually written in hiragana after a verb.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N3 point is on the Hankyū Kyōto Line (Relationships) of the Kyoto lines.