Japanese 見せる: show something to someone

The idea

見みせる is an ichidan verb: remove final る and add ます or て to make 見みせます and 見みせて. 見みせません is polite negative and 見みせました is polite past; the non-past can describe a habit or the future. Mark the viewer with に and the thing shown with を. 見みる means to look; 見みせる means to show.

Examples

• 友達ともだちに写真しゃしんを見みせます。I show a friend a photo.
• 今日きょうはそれを見みせません。I will not show that today.
• 昨日きのう、先生せんせいに宿題しゅくだいを見みせました。Yesterday I showed my homework to the teacher.
• この本ほんを見みせてください。Please show me this book.
• 子こどもが母ははに絵えを見みせています。A child is showing a picture to their mother.
• 携帯けいたいの写真しゃしんを見みせてもいいですか。May I show you a photo on my phone?

Watch out

The dictionary form 見みせる is plain speech. In polite conversation use 見みせます; the て form is 見みせて, not the dictionary form plus て.

Try it yourself

1. 友達ともだちに写真しゃしんを＿。（見みせる→ます）

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   見せます

   見みせます is the polite non-past of 見みせる; context tells whether it describes a habit or a future action.

2. ＿。（見みせる→て）

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   見せて

   見みせて is the て form of 見みせる. It can join clauses or precede ください in a request.

3. 友達ともだち＿写真しゃしんを見みせます。（に／を）

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   に

   に marks the person receiving what is shown or taught; を marks the thing or information.

Use it today

Make a new sentence with 見みせる. Change it to the polite past and identify its particle, then compare it with the table.