What is the difference between "拝見する", "なるほど", "ご覧になる", "拝見", "見抜く"?

"拝見する" means "to see, to look at (humble form of 見る)", "なるほど" means "I see; indeed; that's right", "ご覧になる" means "to see, to look (honorific)", "拝見" means "to see, to look at (humble form of 見る)", "見抜く" means "to see through, to discern, to see into".

Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "拝見する", "なるほど", "ご覧になる", "拝見", "見抜く"

All represent the core concept "see", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

拝見する

はいけんする (haiken suru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

なるほど

なるほど (naruhodo)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

ご覧になる

ごらんになる (goran ni naru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

拝見

はいけん (haiken)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option E

見抜く

みぬく (minuku)

N2 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "see" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "拝見する", "なるほど", "ご覧になる", "拝見", "見抜く" based on context.

拝見する (はいけんする (haiken suru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to see, to look at (humble form of 見る)" and is used when 謙譲語（けんじょうご）。「見る」の謙譲語です。相手が持っているものや、相手に関するものを見る際に、相手への敬意を示す言葉として使われます。Humble form of 見る.
なるほど (なるほど (naruhodo) - Level: N4): Maps to "I see; indeed; that's right" and is used when An interjection used to express understanding or agreement after hearing an explanation or new information. It can also imply a realization or insight..
ご覧になる (ごらんになる (goran ni naru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to see, to look (honorific)" and is used when Sonkeigo.
拝見 (はいけん (haiken) - Level: N3): Maps to "to see, to look at (humble form of 見る)" and is used when A humble verb used when the speaker sees or looks at something belonging to or presented by someone of higher status..
見抜く (みぬく (minuku) - Level: N2): Maps to "to see through, to discern, to see into" and is used when Implies perceiving the truth, a person's true intentions, or a hidden fault, often despite attempts to conceal it, through insight or experience..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "拝見する"

課長の資料を拝見しました。

I looked at the section chief's document.

Context for "なるほど"

なるほど、そういうことでしたか。よくわかりました。

I see, so that's how it was. I understand it well now.

Context for "ご覧になる"

社長、こちらの資料をどうぞご覧ください。

President, please take a look at these documents.

Context for "拝見"

先生の作品を拝見しました。

I humbly saw/looked at the teacher's work.

Context for "見抜く"

彼の巧妙な嘘を、先生はすぐに見て抜いた。

The teacher immediately saw through his clever lie.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "課長の資料を拝見しました。" (Meaning: "I looked at the section chief's document.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "拝見する" is correct here because it represents "to see, to look at (humble form of 見る)" in the context: "I looked at the section chief's document.".