Grammar detail: 見える vs 見られる

見える vs 見られる - is visible vs can be seen

97 words

My current mastery of this grammar point:

み

見

える is an ichidan verb meaning 'is visible'. However, it is very similar to, and often confused with, the potential form of

み

見

る (to see),

み

見

られる, which means 'can be seen'.

見える means that something is visible (anyone could see it if they looked).

えました。
The scenery was magnificent.

見られる means 'able to be seen' (you could see it if some suitable condition was met).

が見られません。
I don't have a blu-ray player, so I can't watch this movie.

Note that the form 見れる is incorrect, although it is often used as a colloquial abbreviation of 見られる. This form is known as a ら

ぬ

抜

き

ことば

言葉

, literally 'missing ra word' - because the ら is skipped.

https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/25963/見える-versus-見られる/25967 ⇗
https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43881/is-mierareru-the-potential-form-of-mieru ⇗

る

ichidan verb, transitive verb

1. to see; to look; to watch; to view; to observe

2. to look over; to look on; to assess; to examine; to judge (see also: 診る)

(click the word to view an additional 4 meanings and 3 forms, examples and links)

TEST

える

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

1. to be seen; to be in sight

2. to look; to seem; to appear

(click the word to view an additional 1 meaning, examples and links)

TEST