見える・聞こえる details
is visible; is audible — something reaches the eyes or ears with nobody trying to perceive it
あ、ここから海が見える!
a, koko kara umi ga mieru!
Oh, you can see the sea from here! casual
部屋の窓から、景色が見えます。
heya no mado kara, keshikigamiemasu.
From the window of the room, the scenery is visible. neutral
- formal
- negative
- past
- polite
Examples
comes into view or within earshot — the thing perceived is the subject, and nobody is credited with perceiving it
あ、ここから海が見える!
a, koko kara umi ga mieru!
Oh, you can see the sea from here! casual
部屋の窓から、景色が見えます。
heya no mado kara, keshikigamiemasu.
From the window of the room, the scenery is visible. neutral
隣の部屋から、小さい声が聞こえた。
tonari no heya kara, chiisai koe ga kikoeta.
A quiet voice came through from the next room. neutral
恐れ入りますが、お声が少し聞こえにくいようです。
osoreirimasu ga, o koe ga sukoshi kikoenikui you desu.
I'm sorry, but your voice seems a little hard to hear. formal
Formation
{N}が見えるattaches to noun{N}が聞こえるattaches to noun
Variant notes
- お見えになる — a second, unrelated job for the same verb — the polite way to say that a visitor has arrived, 三時にお客様がお見えになりました.
Notes
reaches takes に, in practice almost always には — 私にはよく見えない.
Related patterns
Similar
音がする reports an impression with its source unplaced; 音が聞こえる reports it reaching a particular ear, which is why 聞こえる takes an experiencer (私には聞こえない) and がする cannot — ×私には音がしない.
Lookalikes
見える is not the potential of 見る — it says the thing arrives at the eye unbidden (窓から海が見える), while 見られる says an opportunity exists (その映画はネットで見られる); 聞こえる and 聞ける split the same way.
The same verb, and on a noun host one particle decides everything — 子どもが見える reports a child in view, 子どもに見える reports that whoever you are looking at passes for one, so が answers "is it there?" while に and く answer "what does it come across as?".