“〜te miru”: Try Doing, Give It a Try (N4 fundamentals) [JLPT N4]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「食べてみる」「日本に行ってみたい」 — do something and see how it goes.

「食べてみて」 — 「〜てみる」, “try doing, give it a go”

A friend recommends a dish: 「おいしいよ、食べてみて！」 (it's good, give it a try!) — 「(verb て-form) ＋ みる」 means “try doing ~, do ~ and see,” with an attempt feel of “do it and see the result, uncertain how it'll go.” It comes from 「見る (see)」 but is written in hiragana 「みる」 (do and “see”). This guide covers 「てみる」's attachment, that “attempt” feel, and how it differs from 「ておく (do in advance)」 (detailed comparison in the 〈てみる complete〉 guide).

Core: try doing, and see the result (uncertain)

「〜てみる」 = “try doing ~, do ~ and see,” uncertain of the result, giving it a go:

• Attempt: 食べてみる (try eating), 行ってみる (try going), 聞いてみる (try asking).
• Feel: do it and see how it turns out (unsure if it's good/works, so try).

Attachment: verb て-form ＋ みる (食べる→食べてみる, やる→やってみる). Written in hiragana (not kanji 「見る」).

How to Connect

例句解析

• この料理、おいしいですよ。ぜひ食べてみてください。(This dish is good; please do give it a try.) — attempt (request)
• 日本に行ってみたいなあ。(I'd love to try going to Japan.) — want to try
• やってみないと分からない。(You won't know unless you try.) — attempt
• この服、着てみてもいいですか。(May I try this on?) — trying on
• 難しそうだけど、一度やってみる。(It looks hard, but I'll give it one try.) — attempt

⚠️ Easy traps to avoid

① Attaches to the て-form, written hiragana 「みる」. 食べてみる (✗ 食べる みる, ✗ 食べて見る). Grammaticalized from 「見る (see)」, as an auxiliary it's written hiragana みる, not kanji.

② 「てみる」 = try first, see the result — no guarantee of success. やってみる (give it a try, may not succeed). The English “give it a go／try and see” captures the feel — “tentatively do, and see how it goes.”

③ Different feel from 「ておく (do in advance)」. てみる = attempt (do and see: 食べてみる = try eating); ておく = prepare for the future (do ahead: 買っておく = buy in advance). Both take the て-form, but one is “try,” the other “prepare” (see the 〈てみる complete〉 guide).

🔄 Compare: てみる／ておく／てしまう

💡 Quick takeaway

「てみる」 is a super-useful everyday pattern — to recommend or to attempt, use it: 食べてみて (give it a try), やってみる (give it a go), 行ってみたい (want to try going), 聞いてみる (try asking). The core feel is “uncertain, do it first and see,” with an exploratory, attempting flavor. The attachment is just verb て-form ＋ みる (written hiragana). It comes from 「見る (see)」 — do it and “see” the result. To encourage someone to try, 「〜てみて（ください）」 is very natural. For the finer split from 「ておく (prepare ahead)」 and more, see the 〈てみる complete〉 guide. To urge yourself or others to “give it a try,” てみる is the best.

❓ FAQ

Q: Why is 「てみる」 written in hiragana, not 「見る」?

Because as an auxiliary (meaning “try doing”), 「〜てみる」 is conventionally written hiragana 「みる」, not kanji 「見る」. It's grammaticalized from 「見る (see)」 — “do and ‘see' (the result)” — but no longer literally “see with your eyes,” so it's kana. E.g. 食べてみる (try eating), やってみる (give it a try). This is the general rule for Japanese auxiliary verbs (〜ていく, 〜てくる, 〜てみる etc. are all kana once grammaticalized).

Q: How do I tell 「てみる」 from 「ておく」?

Different feel. 「てみる」 = attempt (do and see the result, uncertain: この店に入ってみる = try going into this shop). 「ておく」 = prepare in advance (do ahead for the future: 予約しておく = book ahead). One is “tentatively do and see how it goes,” the other “do ahead for later convenience.” E.g. 「新しいレストランに行ってみる」 (try the new restaurant) vs 「席を予約しておく」 (reserve a table ahead). Both take the て-form, but “try” and “prepare” are entirely different directions (more in the 〈てみる complete〉 guide).

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「この料理を___みてください。」 (please try eating it) Which fits the blank?

(A) 食べ　(B) 食べて　(C) 食べる　(D) 食べに

Q2. 「日本に行って___、本当に楽しかった。」 (I tried going to Japan, and it was really fun) Which fits the blank?

(A) みる　(B) みた　(C) みたら　(D) みると

Q3. 「やって___分かる。」 (you only know once you try) Which fits the blank for this colloquial "you won't know unless you try"?

(A) みないと　(B) みたら　(C) みると　(D) みても

Q4. What is the core meaning of 「てみる」?

(A) completing an action

(B) repeatedly doing an action

(C) trying something to see how it turns out

(D) doing an action together

Q5. 「この服、着て___いいですか？」 (may I try it on?) Which fits the blank?

(A) みても　(B) みたら　(C) みれば　(D) みると

Answer Explanations

1. (B) 食べて ── てみる attaches to the て-form + みる: 食べて + みて + ください = 食べてみてください.

2. (C) みたら ── 「行ってみたら」 = tried going (and after doing so), found the result was ~. たら indicates the result after a condition is completed.

3. (A) みないと ── 「やってみないと分からない」 = if you don't try doing it, you won't know (a negative condition).

4. (C) trying something ── てみる = trying to do something, with the nuance of "exploring how it turns out".

5. (A) みても ── 着てみてもいいですか？ = May I try it on? (a permission question). てみてもいい = it's OK to try doing it.