にして + 見れば
For (A), In the case of (A), From (A)'s point of view, In the eyes of (A)
Structure
(1) にしてみたら
Explanation
The expression にしてみれば, which is typically written only in hiragana, is used when putting oneself in someone else's shoes to comment on a situation from their perspective. Common English translations include 'from (A)'s point of view, (B)', 'as far as (A) is concerned, (B)', or 'for (A), (B)'. A more literal translation would be 'if I were to become (A) and look at it, (B)'.
にしてみれば follows nouns that refer to a person or a group of people. Grammatically, it is formed from the particle に, the て-form of the verb する, and the conditional form of the verb 見る, which is 見れば.
- 親には当たり前のことでも、子供にしてみれば納得できないだろう。It may be obvious to a parent, but from a child's perspective, it's probably hard to accept.
- 犬にしてみれば、留守番はとても寂しいことだろう。For a dog, being left home alone must be a very lonely thing.
- 都会の人にしてみれば、この静かすぎる村は退屈だろう。From the perspective of a city person, this overly quiet village is probably boring.
Because にしてみれば is always used to consider another's viewpoint, the following clause will almost always express the speaker's assumption about that person's feelings or thoughts on the matter. Consequently, sentences using this structure frequently end with expressions of conjecture like だろう, でしょう, or かもしれない.
Examples
プロの選手にしてみれば短い距離でも、初心者にとっては大変な挑戦だ。
For a professional athlete, it may be a short distance, but for a beginner, it's a huge challenge.
人間にとっては普通の雷の音も、うちの犬にしてみれば恐怖の対象でしかない。
Even the normal sound of thunder to us is nothing but an object of terror for my dog.
(From my dog's perspective)
子供はもう大丈夫だと言っているが、親にしてみれば、一人で海外に行かせるのは心配でたまらないだろう。
The child says they'll be fine, but from a parent's perspective, letting them go abroad alone must be incredibly worrying.
ユーザーからは小さなバグに見えるかもしれないが、プログラマーにしてみれば、原因を特定するのが非常に難しい問題なのだ。
It may look like a small bug to the user, but for a programmer, it's an issue whose cause is extremely difficult to identify.
渡す人：「こんな物ですみません…」
もらう人：「とんでもない！私にしてみたら、これ以上ない宝物ですよ。」
Giver: 'I'm sorry it's not much...'
Receiver: 'Not at all! For me, this is the greatest treasure I could ask for.'
(From my perspective)
たった一人のクレームでも、店長にしてみれば店の評判に関わる大問題なのだ。
Even if it's a complaint from just one person, for the store manager, it's a major issue that affects the store's reputation.
日本人は冬が寒いと言うが、北国から来た彼にしてみれば、まだまだ暖かいらしい。
Japanese people say the winter is cold, but for him, coming from a northern country, it's apparently still quite warm.
私たちにとってはただのゴミだが、猫にしてみれば、そのダンボール箱は最高のお城なのだろう。
It's just trash to us, but for a cat, that cardboard box is probably the best castle ever.
先生にとっては僅かな１点の差でも、学生にしてみれば合格と不合格を分ける大きな差なのだ。
While it may be a mere one-point difference to the teacher, for the student, it's the huge difference that separates passing from failing.
客は簡単に注文したが、シェフにしてみれば、その料理は何時間も準備にかかる特別な一品だった。
The customer ordered it casually, but for the chef, that dish was a special creation that took hours of preparation.
(From the chef's perspective)
大人には何でもない５分の待ち時間も、幼い子供にしてみれば永遠のように感じられる。
A five-minute wait that is nothing to an adult feels like an eternity for a young child.
日本人にとっては簡単な箸の使い方も、外国人にしてみたら、かなりのトレーニングが必要なのだろう。
For a foreigner, using chopsticks, which is simple for Japanese people, likely requires considerable training.