〜てみせる: 'Show By Doing' / 'I'll Definitely…' (N3 Grammar)
The layer みせる adds
On its own, a verb just reports the action. Bolt みせる ("to show") onto its て-form and you add an audience — the action is now aimed at someone who is meant to see it. That single "for-an-audience" layer splits into two readings depending on whether the showing is literal or figurative.
Literal showing — demonstrate / show how, by doing it. You perform the action so someone can see exactly how it's done:
先生は正しい発音をしてみせた。
せんせいは ただしい はつおんを して みせた。
The teacher demonstrated the correct pronunciation by saying it.
Did it himself so students could see/hear how.
モチはお手本に、漢字を書いてみせた。
モチは おてほんに、かんじを かいて みせた。
As an example, Mochi wrote the kanji to show how.
Figurative showing — strong determination, a vow ("I'll show them"). Here みせる is not literal: you'll prove it through action, often against doubt:
今度こそ合格してみせる。
こんどこそ ごうかく して みせる。
This time I will pass — just watch.
A firm vow, not literally 'show.'
ヤッタンは必ず日本語をマスターしてみせると言った。
ヤッタンは かならず にほんごを マスター して みせると いった。
Yattan said he would definitely master Japanese, no matter what.
The verbs it rides on
みせる attaches to the て-form of any action verb, and because みせる (見せる) is a plain ru-verb (一段), it conjugates without surprises:
| Verb (dictionary) | て-form | 〜てみせる |
|---|---|---|
| する (do) | して | してみせる |
| 書く (write) | 書いて | 書いてみせる |
| 合格する (pass) | 合格して | 合格してみせる |
| 成功する (succeed) | 成功して | 成功してみせる |
All the usual ru-verb endings ride along: みせた (past), みせます (polite), みせよう (volitional), みせるつもり, and so on. The ending you pick often flags which reading is in play:
| みせる form | Result | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| してみせた | demonstrated it | Literal (past) |
| 合格してみせます | I will pass (polite vow) | Figurative |
| やってみせるぞ | I'll pull it off, watch! | Figurative (emphatic) |
Seeing it in context
弟が解けなかった問題を、ヤッタンが解いてみせた。
おとうとが とけなかった もんだいを、ヤッタンが といて みせた。
Yattan solved the problem his little brother couldn't — and showed him how.
Sense 1: demonstrating by doing.
今は無理でも、いつか必ず成功してみせる。
いまは むりでも、いつか かならず せいこう して みせる。
Even if it's impossible now, someday I will definitely succeed — you'll see.
Sense 2: determination.
先生は箸の正しい持ち方を持ってみせてくれた。
せんせいは はしの ただしい もちかたを もって みせて くれた。
The teacher held the chopsticks the right way to show us how.
Sense 1, with くれる added for 'did it for us.'
Against the plain verb and its look-alikes
Strip みせる off and you lose the audience: 合格する is a neutral plan, while 合格してみせる throws down a vow with someone watching. That extra charge is exactly why the figurative sense sounds odd in calm, neutral statements — it carries emotion or defiance. For an ordinary plan, drop back to the plain verb or reach for 〜ようとする.
The trickier neighbour is 〜てみる, which looks almost identical but points the opposite way:
- 〜てみる = try and see what happens. The outcome is unknown; you're testing: 食べてみる ("I'll try eating it [to see how it is]"). See 〜てみる.
- 〜てみせる = show / prove by doing, or vow to do it. Either you demonstrate (literal) or you're determined (figurative): 食べてみせる ("I'll eat it [to show you / no matter what]").
Quick test: if you could swap in English "let me try…," it's てみる. If it's "let me show you…" or "just watch me…," it's てみせる. So 合格してみる ("I'll give the exam a shot") is far weaker than 合格してみせる ("I will pass"). And remember みせる stays a ru-verb throughout — past みせた (not みせいた), negative みせない — riding on the て-form, never the dictionary form: 書いてみせる (✓), 書く みせる (✗).
In a nutshell
- 〜てみせる = て-form + みせる (a ru-verb) — the verb, now performed for an audience.
- Literal: demonstrate by actually doing it (先生が発音してみせた).
- Figurative: a strong vow — "I'll do it, just watch" (合格してみせる).
- Don't mix it up with 〜てみる ("try and see").
Practice it
Choose between てみる and てみせる, and identify which sense of てみせる fits.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
今度こそ、私は必ず試験に合格し＿＿＿。
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between てみる and てみせる?
てみる means 'try and see' with an uncertain outcome (食べてみる = I'll try eating it). てみせる means 'show by doing' or 'I'll prove it / just watch' (食べてみせる). One tests; the other demonstrates or vows.
How many meanings does てみせる have?
Two. (1) Demonstrating something by actually doing it: 先生が書いてみせた ('the teacher wrote it to show how'). (2) Strong determination: 必ず成功してみせる ('I will definitely succeed, you'll see').
How does みせる conjugate?
みせる (見せる) is a regular ru-verb (一段): past みせた, negative みせない, polite みせます, volitional みせよう. So you can say してみせた, してみせます, やってみせよう, and so on.
Is the determination sense rude?
Not rude, but emotional and emphatic — it conveys defiance or strong resolve. For a neutral plan, use the plain verb or 〜ようとする instead.
Where 〜てみせる fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- 〜てみる · N4 — 〜てみる means to do something and see how it goes — to try it out. Learn the て-form + みる formation, how みる conjugates (てみた, てみよう), and how it differs from 〜たい.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜ようとする · N3 — 〜ようとする adds とする to the volitional form: (1) try/attempt to do, (2) be just about to do. Negative 〜ようとしない means won't or refuses to do.
- 〜べき · N3 — 〜べきだ means 'should' or 'ought to' — a strong, principled obligation. Learn how to form it, すべき vs するべき, the negative べきではない, and the regretful べきだった.
More N3 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜てしょうがない・〜てしかたがない — 〜てしょうがない and 〜てしかたがない attach to the て-form to say a feeling is unbearable: 会いたくてしょうがない, 暑くてしかたがない. Learn the form, register, and nuance.
- 〜てたまらない — 〜てたまらない attaches to the て-form of an adjective or verb to mean unbearably / so ... that I can't stand it — an overwhelming emotion or physical sensation.
- 〜てはいられない — 〜てはいられない attaches to the て-form to say you can't afford to stay in a state or keep doing something — there's no time or leisure for it. 泣いてはいられない = 'I can't afford to keep crying.'
- 〜とともに — 〜とともに (と共に) means 'together with,' 'at the same time as a change,' or 'both A and B.' Learn the three senses, the noun/verb formation, and its formal register.
- 〜とは限らない — 〜とは限らない means 'not necessarily' — it partially negates a general assumption. Learn the formation, the 必ずしも pairing, noun/な-adjective attachment, and how it differs from わけではない.
- 〜といっても — 〜といっても means 'although I say X, (actually it's less than you'd think).' Learn how it downscales the impression the first clause gives, its formation, and common mistakes.