よく見る

Using yoku miru is quite straightforward for you. Place the object you see before the phrase. Use the particle o to link them together. For example, kono hana o yoku miru means "I often see this flower." If you are talking to a boss, use mimasu. If you are with friends, miru is fine. To give a command, change it to mite. "Look closely at the screen" becomes gamen o yoku mite. You can also use it as an adjective. Yoku miru koukei means "a sight seen often." It is a very flexible building block for sentences.

Use it when you notice a trend. Maybe everyone is wearing the same sneakers lately. You can say, "I see those shoes often." Use it when you are teaching someone something. "Look closely at how I hold these chopsticks." It is great for spotting friends in a crowd. "I see him often at this cafe." Use it when you find a typo in a document. "If you look closely, there is a mistake." It is perfect for birdwatching or stargazing too. Anytime your eyes are doing hard work, use it.

Don't use this to mean "I understand." In English, we say "I see" for "I get it." In Japanese, you should say naruhodo or wakarimasu. Also, don't use it for "We'll see" regarding the future. If you mean "Let's wait and see," use yousu o mimashou. It isn't for watching TV in a general sense. For "I watch TV," just say terebi o miru. Only add yoku if you watch it all the time. Don't use it for meeting people for the first time. It implies a history of seeing or intense staring.

Japanese people value the "art of noticing." There is a term called kizuki which means "noticing." Being observant is considered a very polite trait. If you yoku miru, you show you are paying attention. This applies to nature, fashion, and social cues. In a crowded city like Tokyo, trends move fast. You might yoku miru a new drink everywhere. It reflects the collective nature of Japanese society. When something is popular, everyone sees it everywhere. It also links to the precision in Japanese crafts. Artisans must yoku miru their work for perfection.

You will encounter many forms of this phrase. Yoku mieteiru means "it is clearly visible." Yoku mienai means "I can't see it well." This is useful if you forgot your glasses. Yoku mitemite! is a cute way to say "Look!" Yoku mita koto ga aru means "I have seen it before." This is a bit more specific about your experience. Yoku miru to... is a great sentence starter. It means "If you look closely..." or "Upon closer inspection..." These variations help you express different levels of sight.