Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "見ます" vs "終わります"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
見ます
みます (mimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
終わります
おわります (owarimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 見ます and 終わります are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
見ます (みます (mimasu)) represents "to see, to watch, to look" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 見る.
On the other hand, 終わります (おわります (owarimasu)) translates to "to finish, to end" (Level: N5) and is used for Intransitive verb. Used for events, tasks, or time periods coming to an end. Often paired with が.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "見ます"
昨日の夜、テレビで映画を見ました。
I watched a movie on TV last night.
Bilingual Sentence for "終わります"
授業は3時に終わります。
The class finishes at 3 o'clock.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "昨日の夜、テレビで映画を見ました。" (Meaning: "I watched a movie on TV last night.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "見ます" fits here because it represents "to see, to watch, to look" in the context: "I watched a movie on TV last night.".