If you want to say “try doing something” in Japanese, the star of the show is usually 〜てみる (-te miru). It’s one of those tiny grammar patterns that shows up everywhere, which is very rude of it, honestly, because it looks simple and then quietly becomes useful in about 900 situations.
The good news: once you get 〜てみる, you can say things like “try eating,” “try calling,” “try looking,” and “try asking.” That is a lot of mileage for two little words. You can also compare it with other helpful verbs like Japanese helper verbs, and it connects nicely with patterns for can in Japanese and want in Japanese.
For a broader study path, this lesson sits nicely inside the main Learn Japanese hub. And if you like checking your level before diving deeper, the Japanese Placement Test JLPT and the Japanese Vocabulary Test are there to keep things interesting. Slightly judgmental, perhaps, but useful.
The Main Pattern: 〜てみる
〜てみる means to try doing something or to do something and see what happens.
Basic formula:
- Verb て-form + みる = try doing that action
- 食べてみる (tabete miru) = try eating
- 行ってみる (itte miru) = try going
- 聞いてみる (kiite miru) = try asking / try listening
The tricky part is that Japanese is not just saying “try.” It often has the feeling of “do it and check the result”. So 食べてみる is not just “try to eat” in some abstract way. It’s more like, “eat it and see if you like it.” Nice and practical. Very Japanese. Very efficient.
Useful Phrases You Will Actually Use
| Kanji | Rōmaji | English Meaning | Example Sentence | Rōmaji | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 食べてみる | tabete miru | try eating / try to eat | このラーメンを食べてみる。 | Kono rāmen o tabete miru. | I’ll try this ramen. |
| 行ってみる | itte miru | try going / go and see | その店に行ってみる。 | Sono mise ni itte miru. | I’ll try going to that shop. |
| 聞いてみる | kiite miru | try asking / try listening | 先生に聞いてみる。 | Sensei ni kiite miru. | I’ll try asking the teacher. |
| 話してみる | hanashite miru | try speaking | 日本語で話してみる。 | Nihongo de hanashite miru. | I’ll try speaking in Japanese. |
| 書いてみる | kaite miru | try writing | 漢字を書いてみる。 | Kanji o kaite miru. | I’ll try writing the kanji. |
| 使ってみる | tsukatte miru | try using | このアプリを使ってみる。 | Kono apuri o tsukatte miru. | I’ll try using this app. |
| 見てみる | mite miru | try looking / take a look | 少し見てみる。 | Sukoshi mite miru. | I’ll take a quick look. |
| 買ってみる | katte miru | try buying | この本を買ってみる。 | Kono hon o katte miru. | I’ll try buying this book. |
| 調べてみる | shirabete miru | try checking / look into | 駅の時間を調べてみる。 | Eki no jikan o shirabete miru. | I’ll check the station times. |
| やってみる | yatte miru | try doing / give it a shot | とりあえずやってみる。 | Toriaezu yatte miru. | I’ll just try it for now. |
| 読んでみる | yonde miru | try reading | この本を読んでみる。 | Kono hon o yonde miru. | I’ll try reading this book. |
| 練習してみる | renshū shite miru | try practicing | 毎日練習してみる。 | Mainichi renshū shite miru. | I’ll try practicing every day. |
How The Grammar Works
To make 〜てみる, take a verb in the て-form and add みる.
Rule:
- 食べる → 食べて → 食べてみる
- 行く → 行って → 行ってみる
- する → して → してみる
- 見る → 見て → 見てみる
So yes, the key is the て-form. If you need a refresher on helper verbs and patterns like this, the page on Japanese helper verbs is a sensible next stop.
〜てみる often means “do it and see.” Not “try very hard and stress about it.” Japanese already has enough drama elsewhere.
Real-Life Sentence Patterns
Here are some natural patterns you can copy right away.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example | Rōmaji | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 〜てみる | try doing | 新しい店で食べてみる。 | Atarashii mise de tabete miru. | I’ll try eating at a new shop. |
| 〜てみました | tried doing | 昨日、その映画を見てみました。 | Kinō, sono eiga o mite mimashita. | Yesterday, I tried watching that movie. |
| 〜てみたい | want to try doing | 日本の料理を作ってみたい。 | Nihon no ryōri o tsukutte mitai. | I want to try making Japanese food. |
| 〜てみよう | let’s try doing | 一緒にやってみよう。 | Issho ni yatte miyō. | Let’s try doing it together. |
| 〜てみれば？ | why don’t you try | 自分で聞いてみれば？ | Jibun de kiite mireba? | Why don’t you try asking yourself? |
Notice how 〜てみる changes by tense and style. That’s the fun part of Japanese: one pattern, many useful forms. Sneaky, but helpful.
Common Variations And Related Expressions
| Kanji | Rōmaji | Meaning | When To Use It |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜てみる | -te miru | try doing | General “try it and see” pattern |
| 〜てみたい | -te mitai | want to try doing | When you want to express curiosity or interest |
| 〜てみよう | -te miyō | let’s try doing | Friendly suggestion to yourself or others |
| 〜てみませんか | -te mimasen ka | would you like to try | Polite invitation |
| 〜てみるといい | -te miru to ii | it would be good to try | Advice or recommendation |
If you also want to express ability, difference, or desire, these patterns often team up with other grammar such as can in Japanese and want in Japanese. Japanese loves forming little grammar alliances. Very organized. A little suspiciously organized.
Examples In Full Sentences
- このケーキを食べてみたいです。 — Kono kēki o tabete mitai desu. — I want to try this cake.
- 日本語で自己紹介してみます。 — Nihongo de jiko shōkai shite mimasu. — I will try introducing myself in Japanese.
- このアプリを使ってみました。 — Kono apuri o tsukatte mimashita. — I tried using this app.
- 駅まで歩いてみよう。 — Eki made aruite miyō. — Let’s try walking to the station.
- 先生にもう一度聞いてみます。 — Sensei ni mō ichido kiite mimasu. — I’ll try asking the teacher one more time.
- この漢字を書いてみてください。 — Kono kanji o kaite mite kudasai. — Please try writing this kanji.
- 友だちに送ってみます。 — Tomodachi ni okutte mimasu. — I’ll try sending it to my friend.
- 新しい方法を試してみる。 — Atarashii hōhō o tameshite miru. — I’ll try a new method.
- そのレストランに行ってみませんか。 — Sono resutoran ni itte mimasen ka. — Would you like to try going to that restaurant?
- 時間があれば、読んでみてください。 — Jikan ga areba, yonde mite kudasai. — If you have time, please try reading it.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
| Mistake | Why It’s Off | Better Version |
|---|---|---|
| 食べみる | Missing the て-form | 食べてみる |
| 行きてみる | 行く becomes 行って, not 行きて | 行ってみる |
| 見てますみる | Too many verb endings stacked together | 見てみる or 見ています |
| 食べてみますです | Double polite ending is unnecessary | 食べてみます |
| 試みる for every situation | 試みる is more formal and not the everyday “try” pattern | 〜てみる for normal conversation |
One important note: 試みる (kokoromiru) exists, and yes, it means “to attempt” or “to try,” but it is much more formal and less common in daily conversation. In normal speech, 〜てみる is the pattern you want. No need to dress the verb in a suit unless the situation really demands it.
Quick Practice
Turn these verbs into “try doing” sentences:
- 読む → __________________
- 買う → __________________
- 話す → __________________
- 行く → __________________
- する → __________________
Answers:
- 読んでみる — yonde miru — try reading
- 買ってみる — katte miru — try buying
- 話してみる — hanashite miru — try speaking
- 行ってみる — itte miru — try going
- してみる — shite miru — try doing
Fast Reference Summary
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てみる | try doing | 食べてみる — try eating |
| 〜てみたい | want to try doing | 行ってみたい — want to try going |
| 〜てみよう | let’s try doing | やってみよう — let’s try doing it |
| 〜てみませんか | would you like to try | 聞いてみませんか — would you like to try asking? |
The short version: if you want to say “try doing something” in Japanese, remember Verb て-form + みる. Start with one or two common verbs, then build out from there. 食べてみる, 行ってみる, and やってみる will already carry you surprisingly far.
If you want more practice, revisit the grammar next to Japanese helper verbs, then test yourself with the Japanese Vocabulary Test. Tiny steps, big win. That’s how language learning stops being a mystery and starts being a habit.
