N4164/179

にみえる

Noun + にみえるX は Y にみえる (to look like Y)

Meanings

  • to look like
  • to seem like
  • to appear like

About this pattern

Explanation

にみえる attaches to what something looks like to an observer. It focuses on appearance or an impression rather than actual identity. Use it when you judge or guess based on how something appears. It is often used for comparing to a category or depicting resemblance. Note that this is subjective; different observers may feel differently about the same scene. In many situations, 〜ように見える or 〜そうに見える can be used for more explicit impressions, but にみえる emphasizes the sense of resemblance to a noun. Examples express appearances such as “looks like a cat” or “looks like an angel.”

Learn in context

Example sentences

この像は子供にみえる。

This statue looks like a child.

彼女は天使にみえる。

She looks like an angel.

あの雲は馬にみえる。

That cloud looks like a horse.

子供は大人にみえることがある。

Children can look like adults sometimes.