みる
miru
みる is one move: put your eyes on it
The picture Placing your eyes on something to find out how it is. Keep them there and it becomes 'look after'; act first and check after, and it becomes 'try it'. 見る is you putting your eyes on it; 見える is it entering your eyes on its own.
Where the picture shows up in みる
-
you watch it
昨日、この映画を見ました。
kinō, kono eiga o mimashita
I watched this film yesterday.
Sitting in a dark cinema with your eyes fixed to the screen for two hours
-
you check as you go
地図を見ながら行きましょう。
chizu o minagara ikimashō
Let's walk while looking at the map.
Putting your eyes on the map in your hand and back on the road without stopping
-
you try it and see
よかったら一度食べてみてください。
yokattara ichido tabete mite kudasai
Do give it a try if you like.
Taking one bite first, then checking with your eyes how it turned out
て-form + みる means 'try and see'; write it in hiragana, not 見る.
-
you don't take your eyes off
ちょっと子どもを見ていてください。
chotto kodomo o mite ite kudasai
Could you watch my child for a moment?
Keeping your eyes fastened on a child at play and never letting them off
-
you wait and see
薬を飲んで、しばらく様子を見ましょう。
kusuri o nonde, shibaraku yōsu o mimashō
Take the medicine and let's see how it goes.
Giving the medicine, then keeping your eyes on them to see whether anything shifts
All of it in one picture
みる is the picture of placing your eyes on something to find out how it is. A film keeps your eyes on the screen for two hours; a map takes your eyes off the road and back; tasting puts a bite in first and then checks the result by eye; watching a child means never letting your eyes off; waiting and seeing means keeping your eyes on until something shifts. Only what you put your eyes on, and how long you leave them there, changes. So 〜てみる is less 'give it a go' than 'do it, then look and find out'.