見 Meaning, Reading, and Vocabulary｜Onyomi ケン・Kunyomi み.る
見 is an essential JLPT N5 kanji that means 'to see' or 'to look at' things with your eyes.
It is widely used with the onyomi ケン and the kunyomi み.る (to see), み.える (to be visible), and み.せる (to show).
It forms very common words used in daily life and exams, such as 見学 (field trip), 意見 (opinion), and 花見 (cherry blossom viewing).
Kanji at a glance
Core meaning / core image
見 represents the act of visually perceiving or observing something. Beyond simply seeing with the eyes, its meaning extends to abstract concepts like judging a situation or holding an opinion (viewpoint).
Kanji structure breakdown
Mnemonic story
This character depicts a person with wide-open eyes (目) walking around on their legs (儿) to observe things. It came to mean observing and seeing the world.
On'yomi and kun'yomi
On reading
Kun reading
Commonly used words
Example sentences
Mini quiz
Which of the following has an incorrect reading for the kanji 見?
One-line summary
見 is a highly important basic kanji that extends from the everyday meaning of 'to see' to various concepts of observation and thought, such as 'opinion' and 'field trip'.
FAQ
What is the difference between 見る (みる) and 観る (みる)?
Both mean 'to see' or 'to watch', but 見る is used for things that naturally enter your field of vision or everyday viewing (e.g., a clock, a person). On the other hand, 観る is used when you watch something intentionally and attentively (e.g., movies, plays, sports games). In daily life, 見る is generally used more broadly.
What is the difference between 見える (みえる) and 見られる (みられる)?
見える refers to a state where something naturally comes into your field of vision regardless of your intention (e.g., seeing a mountain out the window). In contrast, 見られる often indicates the potential or ability to see something because the right conditions or circumstances are met (e.g., being able to watch a movie on Netflix).
