Grammar detail: 見える vs 見られる

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

My current mastery of this grammar:

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).

DETAILS

すばらしいけしきが

み

見

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).

DETAILS

ブルーレイプレイヤーを持っていないからこの

えいが

映画

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.

More information / references

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 ⇗

Words used in this grammar

み

見

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

み

見

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