Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Look" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "look", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
世話する
せわする (sewa suru)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
見渡す
みわたす (miwatasu)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "look" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 世話する and 見渡す.
In Japanese, 世話する (せわする (sewa suru)) is typically associated with "to look after; to take care of; to attend to; to look out for" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to looking after someone.
On the other hand, 見渡す (みわたす (miwatasu)) maps to "to look out over, to survey (a scene), to gaze across" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents 高い場所から広い範囲全体に目をやって景色や状況を眺めることを指します。. A literal translation of "look" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "世話する"
オフィスの休憩エリアをスマートに緑化するため、彼は週末にも自動給水センサーと連携して植物をスマートに_______ました。
In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.
Bilingual Context for "見渡す"
山の頂上から街全体を見渡した。
I looked out over the entire city from the mountaintop.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "オフィスの休憩エリアをスマートに緑化するため、彼は週末にも自動給水センサーと連携して植物をスマートに_______ました。" (Meaning: "In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "世話する" fits here because it means "to look after; to take care of; to attend to; to look out for" in the context of: "In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.". "見渡す" represents "to look out over, to survey (a scene), to gaze across".