Quintuple VS
Synonym Boundary: "見ます", "見る", "ご覧になる", "拝見", "見抜く"
All represent the core concept "see", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
見ます
みます (mimasu)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
見る
みる (miru)
N5 / 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 "見ます", "見る", "ご覧になる", "拝見", "見抜く" based on context.
- 見ます (みます (mimasu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to see, to watch, to look" and is used when Polite form of 見る.
- 見る (みる (miru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to see, to watch, to look" and is used when Used for observing something. Polite form is 見ます.
- 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..
Context 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.
Context for "見る"
テレビを見ます。
I watch TV.
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: "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" is correct here because it represents "to see, to watch, to look" in the context: "I watched a movie on TV last night.".