と見える
It seems that, It can be deduced, One can conclude that
Structure
［い］Adjective + とみえる
［な］Adjective + （だ） + とみえる
Noun + （だ） + とみえる
Explanation
とみえる (which is almost always written in hiragana) is a grammatical structure that connects the case marking particle と with the る-Verb 見える, meaning 'to appear' or 'to seem'.
In this grammar pattern, the と particle signifies a result or a logical conclusion. It indicates that (A) is something the speaker has inferred based on an observation. As such, とみえる can be literally understood as 'judging from appearances, it's (A)'. This is more naturally translated into English as 'it appears that (A)', or 'I gather that (A)'.
This expression is always attached to the end of the clause that represents the speaker's conclusion. However, nouns and な-Adjectives must be followed by the copula だ before とみえる can be added.
- 地面が濡れている。夜の間に雨が降ったとみえる。The ground is wet. It looks like it must have rained during the night.
- あの子はあくびばかりしている。眠いとみえる。That child keeps yawning. It seems they're sleepy.
- 彼女はケーキを断った。甘いものが苦手だとみえる。She turned down the cake. I guess she isn't a fan of sweets.
- 佐藤さんは最近ずっと図書館にいる。明日がテストだとみえる。Satou-san has been in the library constantly these days. It appears tomorrow must be the test.
Although this phrase expresses a supposition, it carries the nuance that the speaker has some clear evidence or reason for their judgment. Because of this, it conveys a reasonable level of confidence in the conclusion being drawn.
Fun Fact
The particle と generally functions to 'bundle' or 'package' information. As a quotation marker, it packages the words that were said or thought. When used with words like 一緒 'together', it bundles the people or items that are performing an action jointly. And as a marker of result, it bundles a cause and connects it to its effect.
- 父は「早く寝なさい」と注意した。My father warned me, 'Go to bed early.'
- 友達と映画を見ました。I watched a movie with my friend.
- このボタンを押すと、ドアが開きます。If you press this button, the door will open.
Examples
その猫は眠いとみえる。
That cat seems sleepy.
彼に電話したけど、間違い電話と見えた。
I called him, but it seemed to be the wrong number.
彼女は泣いたと見えて、目が赤くなっている。
It seems she was crying; her eyes are red.
植物が枯れたから、水をやらなかったと見える。
Since the plant withered, one can conclude that he didn't water it.
友達と見えたが、知らない人でした。
I thought it was a friend, but it was a stranger.
彼は今起きたと見えて、髪の毛がボサボサだ。
His hair is a mess. It seems he just woke up.
彼はパズルをすぐ完成させた。以前やっていたと見える。
He finished the puzzle right away. It seems that he had done it before.
床はもうきれいだった。誰かが掃除していたと見える。
The floor was already clean. One can conclude that someone had already swept it.
誰もまだ食べていないと見えて、料理に手が付けられていなかった。
It seems no one has eaten yet; the food remains untouched.
この町が安全だと見えて、警察官も居ない。
This town seems so safe that there aren't even any police officers around.
ゴミ箱が倒れている。アライグマが漁ったと見える。
The trash can is knocked over. It appears that a raccoon rummaged through it.
彼は厚いコートを着ている。寒いと見える。
He's wearing a thick coat. It seems that he is cold.
会議中、彼はあくびをした。疲れたと見える。
He yawned during the meeting. One could conclude that he was tired.
パーティーは楽しかったと見えて、みんなが笑顔でいる。
It seems the party was fun, judging by everyone's smiling faces.