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見掛ける

みかける

to happen to see; to catch sight of; to spot (in passing)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 私は安室奈美恵を見掛けた。

    わたしはあむろなみえをみかけた。

    I caught sight of Namie Amuro.

  2. 最近、彼を見掛けないね。

    さいきん、かれをみかけないね。

    We haven't seen him around lately, have we?

  3. 駅前でよく見掛ける顔だ。

    えきまえでよくみかけるかおだ。

    That's a face I often see outside the station.

  4. この鳥は冬になると川辺でよく見掛けられる。

    このとりはふゆになるとかわべでよくみかけられる。

    This bird is often spotted by the river in winter.

Common patterns

よく見掛ける
to see often, to be a common sight
見掛けない顔
an unfamiliar face
街で見掛ける
to spot someone in town

Memory tip

This is incidental sighting, not deliberate looking — you cannot 見掛ける a film. The negative 見掛けない ('haven't seen around') is if anything the commoner use. Keep it apart from the noun 見掛け 'outward appearance' (見掛けによらない).

Kanji in this word

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What does 見掛ける mean?