にみえる
To look, To seem, To appear
Structure
［い］Adjective［
［な］Adjective + （そう） + に + みえる
Noun + （の + よう(1)）+ に + みえる
(1) みたい
(2) く
Explanation
にみえる (which is almost always written in hiragana) is a grammatical expression that joins the case marking particleに with the る-Verb見える, meaning 'to appear' or 'to be seen'. This pattern is commonly used with nouns to say that something 'looks like (A)'. It can also be paired with the adverbial forms of ようだ (ように) or そうだ (そうに) to convey a greater degree of speculation. When used this way, the meaning is closer to 'it seems as if (A)' in English.
- この岩は亀にみえる。This rock looks like a turtle.
- 彼女は目を閉じているから、寝ているようにみえる。Since her eyes are closed, it looks as if she's sleeping.
- とても楽しそうにみえるね。何をしているの？You look like you're having a lot of fun. What are you doing?
- そのパズルは簡単そうにみえるけど、実はすごく難しいんだ。That puzzle looks easy, but it's actually really difficult.
- 壁のシミが日本の地図のようにみえる。The stain on the wall looks like a map of Japan.
Just as with other ようだ patterns, the more colloquial みたい can be used in its place. This forms the phrase みたいにみえる. While this might look repetitive, it serves to emphasize the speaker's guess, meaning something like 'to appear to look like (A)'. This adds extra weight to the speculative nature of the statement.
- よく寝たのに、まだ疲れているみたいにみえると言われた。I was told I still look tired, even though I slept well.
Caution
In grammatical patterns such as this one, kanji is very seldom used. This is because using kanji can alter how a native speaker interprets the nuance. To signify that a phrase is a fixed grammatical unit, it is typically written entirely in hiragana. Including kanji might cause a reader to focus on the literal meaning of the character, rather than its intended grammatical role.
Examples
あの猫は眠そうにみえる。
That cat looks/appears sleepy.
彼女は泣いているようにみえる。
She looks/appears as if she is crying.
チョコレートにみえる消しゴム。
An eraser that looks like/has the appearance of chocolate.
その箱は重くみえる。
That box looks heavy/appears heavy.
祖父は元気そうにみえる。
My grandfather seems/appears healthy.
この服を着ると、彼は有名人にみえる。
When he wears these clothes, he seems like a celebrity. (look like・appear as)
静かにみえるけど、実は人がたくさんいる。
It might appear/look quiet, but there are actually a lot of people.
水にみえるけど、実はお酒だ。
It might look like/appear to be water, but it is actually alcohol.
あの人は背が高いから、隣の人が低くみえる。
That person is tall, so the person next to them seems short/looks short.
顔が赤いから、恥ずかしがっているようにみえる。
Because his face is red, it looks like/appears as if he is embarrassed.
この問題は難しそうにみえるけど、実は難しくない。
This problem might look/appear difficult, but it is actually not difficult.
写真で見ると若くみえるけど、実際は結構年だ。
In pictures he looks young/appears young, but in reality he is quite old.