見抜く・見ぬく|みぬくminuku[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
見抜く見抜く is the most common written form of this word and is the form learners should normally choose when writing.
見ぬく見ぬく is a less common variant of 見抜く; readers may encounter it, but learners should generally use 見抜く instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto see through; to see into (someone's heart, mind, etc.); to perceive; to find out; to detect
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 見抜く（みぬく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 見抜きます（みぬきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 見抜かない（みぬかない） |
| polite (masen) | 見抜きません（みぬきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 見抜かず・見抜かぬ（みぬかず・みぬかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 見抜いた（みぬいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 見抜きました（みぬきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 見抜かなかった（みぬかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 見抜きませんでした（みぬきませんでした） |
| Te form | 見抜いて（みぬいて） |
| Potential | 見抜ける（みぬける） |
| Passive | 見抜かれる（みぬかれる） |
| Causative | 見抜かせる（みぬかせる） |
| Causative passive | 見抜かせられる・見抜かされる（みぬかせられる・みぬかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 見抜けば（みぬけば） |
| tara | 見抜いたら（みぬいたら） |
| Volitional | 見抜こう（みぬこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 見抜きましょう（みぬきましょう） |
| Imperative | 見抜け（みぬけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym見透かすみすかすNeutralCovers seeing through lies and schemes or reading someone's mind, often in the passive 「見透かされる」; 見抜く also covers spotting ability or true nature.
- Synonym洞察どうさつWrittenWritten word for seeing to the heart of things with keen observation, as in 「洞察力」; more literary than 見抜く, which is the everyday choice.
- Synonym見通すみとおすNeutralTo see an unobstructed view all the way through, and to foresee or see through plans; the emphasis leans toward predicting the future.
- Synonym悟るさとるWrittenWritten: to comprehend or awaken to something, and to sense another's intent, as in 「企みを悟る」.
- Synonym看破かんぱWrittenA heavily literary word for seeing through the truth or a trick; in everyday speech, 見抜く is the natural choice.
- Related感じ取るかんじとるNeutralTo pick up and take in a feeling from something; the emphasis is on sensing, while 見抜く stresses seeing through to the hidden truth.
- Related捉えるとらえるNeutralTo grasp or seize a point, as in 「特徴を捉える」; it is about capturing what is there, while 見抜く is about seeing through what is hidden.
- Related気づくきづくNeutralThe most common word for noticing or becoming aware; it stops at awareness, whereas 見抜く means seeing through to the essence.
- Related気がつくきがつくNeutralSame as 気づく — to notice — and also to be attentive and thoughtful; it carries no nuance of seeing through anything.
- Related察知さっちWrittenWritten style: to sense something by inference, as in 「危険を察知する」 or 「意図を察知する」.
- Related察するさっするNeutralTo conjecture or infer, and also to sympathize with someone's feelings, as in 「お察しします」; the emphasis is on surmising, not seeing through.
- Related感づくかんづくCasualColloquial: to vaguely sense something bad, like a plot or danger; stresses the inkling itself, not necessarily seeing through to the essence.
- Related心付くこころづくWrittenLiterary word for noticing or realizing, also for regaining consciousness; old-fashioned and rare in modern usage.
- Antonym見誤るみあやまるNeutralAntonym: to misread or misjudge someone or something — the opposite of 見抜く's seeing through to the true nature.
- Antonym見逃すみのがすNeutralAntonym in that it means overlooking or failing to notice; when it means knowingly letting something pass, it is not opposed to 見抜く.
Use 「見抜く」 to see through hidden truths or spot talent. 「見透かす」 also covers seeing through lies and minds; 「気づく」 is just noticing; 「察知」 is sensing by inference. 洞察・看破・悟る are written-style; 感づく is colloquial. Antonyms: 「見誤る」 misjudge, 「見逃す」 overlook.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
