Trying in Japanese

So, someone recently asked me how to Express trying to do things in Japanese. This actually happened a while back, but it took me a while to get this blog and the accompanying website in functional shape. So here's a little write-up. enjoy, I hope it's helpful! 

To express "trying to do something" in Japanese, you can use the verb stem followed by the auxiliary verb "てみる " (te miru). The verb "みる " (miru) means "to try," and when it is combined with the te-form of another verb, it expresses the idea of "trying to do something." For example:

• 食べてみる (tabete miru) - to try eating

• 見てみる (mite miru) - to try seeing/watching

• 聞いてみる (kiite miru) - to try listening/asking

In addition, you can also use the phrase "〜てみよう " (te miyou) to express the intention of trying something. This phrase is formed by adding the volitional form "〜よう " (you) to the te-form of a verb. For example:

• 食べてみよう (tabete miyou) - let's try eating

• 見てみよう (mite miyou) - let's try seeing/watching

• 聞いてみよう (kiite miyou) - let's try listening/asking

Note that using "てみる " or "〜てみよう " implies that you are not certain about the result or outcome of the action. It indicates that you are attempting to do something for the first time, or that you are uncertain whether you can do it successfully or not.

What is the difference between them?

The difference between "てみる " (te miru) and "〜てみよう " (te miyou) is mainly one of tone and context.

"てみる " (te miru) is a more neutral and objective way of expressing the idea of "trying to do something." It is often used to describe an attempt or experiment that you want to try, but without any particular emotional or persuasive tone. For example, if you want to say, "I'm going to try playing soccer," you can say "サッカーをしてみるつもりです" (sakkā o shite miru tsumori desu).

"〜てみよう " (te miyou) has a more volitional and emotional tone, and it is often used to express a desire or invitation to try something. It can be translated as "let's try to do something" or "why don't we do something." For example, if you want to say, "Let's try cooking together," you can say "一緒に料理をしてみよう " (issho ni ryōri o shite miyou).

To sum it all up, "てみる " (te miru) is a neutral way of expressing the idea of trying something, while "〜てみよう " (te miyou) has a more emotional and persuasive tone, often implying a suggestion or invitation to try something together. Remember ‘the look-see is the key!’