〜てみせる te miseru

〜てみせる（te miseru）means “will surely ~ (show resolve); to do ~ for someone to see”. Two related uses: (1) literally to perform an action so others can see it; (2) most commonly, to express the speaker's strong determination — 'I'll do it, just watch me', vowing to accomplish something difficult. Formation: V-て + みせる

will surely ~ (show resolve); to do ~ for someone to see

N2

Formation

V-て + みせる

Explanation

Two related uses: (1) literally to perform an action so others can see it; (2) most commonly, to express the speaker's strong determination — 'I'll do it, just watch me', vowing to accomplish something difficult.

Examples

来年こそ、絶対に試験に合格してみせる。
らいねんこそ、ぜったいにしけんにごうかくしてみせる。
Next year for sure, I'll definitely pass the exam — just watch.
先生が子どもに正しい持ち方をやってみせた。
せんせいがこどもにただしいもちかたをやってみせた。
The teacher demonstrated the correct way to hold it to the children.

Note

The determination sense often pairs with 絶対 / 必ず / こそ for emphasis.

FAQ

〜てみせる — what does it mean and how is it used?

will surely ~ (show resolve); to do ~ for someone to see. Two related uses: (1) literally to perform an action so others can see it; (2) most commonly, to express the speaker's strong determination — 'I'll do it, just watch me', vowing to accomplish something difficult.

〜てみせる — how do you form it?

V-て + みせる

〜てみせる — any usage notes?

The determination sense often pairs with 絶対 / 必ず / こそ for emphasis.

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