見栄え・見映え|みばえmibae[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
見栄え見栄え is the most common written form and the recommended choice for beginners. It combines kanji and kana and can be used when you write this word.
見映え見映え is a less common variant of 見栄え, also written with kanji and kana. You may encounter it, but beginners should use 見栄え instead.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbgood outward appearance; looking nice; being attractive; making a fine show
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 見栄えする（みばえする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 見栄えします（みばえします） |
| Negative (nai) | 見栄えしない（みばえしない） |
| polite (masen) | 見栄えしません（みばえしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 見栄えせず・見栄えせぬ（みばえせず・みばえせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 見栄えした（みばえした） |
| polite (mashita) | 見栄えしました（みばえしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 見栄えしなかった（みばえしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 見栄えしませんでした（みばえしませんでした） |
| Te form | 見栄えして（みばえして） |
| Potential | 見栄えできる（みばえできる） |
| Passive | 見栄えされる（みばえされる） |
| Causative | 見栄えさせる（みばえさせる） |
| Causative passive | 見栄えさせられる（みばえさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 見栄えすれば（みばえすれば） |
| tara | 見栄えしたら（みばえしたら） |
| Volitional | 見栄えしよう（みばえしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 見栄えしましょう（みばえしましょう） |
| Imperative | 見栄えしろ（みばえしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Related見かけみかけNeutralRefers to outward appearance itself, with no judgment of good or bad, as in 「見かけによらず」; 「見栄え」 specifically means looking attractive and presentable.
- Related外見がいけんNeutralNeutrally describes the outside of people or things, often contrasted with what is inside; 「見栄え」 carries the positive evaluation of looking good.
- Related見た目みためNeutralEveryday word for how something looks, good or bad, as in 「見た目がいい」; 「見栄え」 inherently includes the sense of looking good.
- RelatedルックスCasualColloquial loanword chiefly for a person's looks or face; 「見栄え」 is mostly said of dishes, products, works and the like looking presentable.
- Related格好かっこうNeutralCovers looks, dress and posture with a broad range, and can also mean presentable; 「格好がいい」 is close in meaning to 「見栄えがいい」.
- Related装いよそおいWrittenWritten/formal; careful dress and attire, also the decor of shops and the like; focuses on the dressed-up look and does not itself judge it good-looking.
- Related外観がいかんWrittenWritten/formal; mostly the exterior of buildings, products and other objects; 「見栄え」 is about whether something looks good and presentable.
- Related見栄みえNeutralVanity or showing off, as in 「見栄を張る」; it describes a person's mindset, unlike 「見栄え」, which is about things actually looking good.
- Related体裁ていさいNeutralAppearance or format, also one's standing in others' eyes, as in 「体裁を気にする」; stresses whether something is proper rather than whether it looks good.
- RelatedうわべNeutralSurface or outward show, often pejorative, implying all surface and no substance; 「見栄え」 is a positive evaluation.
- Related外形がいけいNeutralThe outer shape or contour of an object as seen from outside, an objective description; it carries no judgment of whether something looks good.
- Related身なりみなりNeutralSpecifically a person's dress and grooming, as in 「身なりを整える」; 「見栄え」 also applies to objects, dishes and the like.
- Related姿すがたNeutralFigure, silhouette or general look, with a wide range that also covers how a thing presents itself; no built-in judgment of attractiveness.
- Related容姿ようしWrittenWritten/formal; specifically a person's face and figure; 「見栄え」 is not limited to people and often says things look good.
- Related風貌ふうぼうWrittenWritten/formal; mainly a person's looks and air, often used to convey the impression someone gives; not the word for a dish or product looking good, as 「見栄え」 is.
- Related風姿ふうしWrittenWritten/formal with an elegant ring; mainly a person's bearing and appearance. In everyday speech, 「姿」 or 「風采」 is the more natural choice.
- Related風体ふうていWrittenWritten/formal; a person's dress or look, often with a shady or shabby nuance, as in 「怪しい風体の男」; not used of objects.
- Related風采ふうさいWrittenWritten/formal; a person's overall appearance and bearing, as in 「風采が上がらない」; used only of people, while 「見栄え」 is mostly for things.
- Related見てくれみてくれCasualColloquial; outward show or facade, often pejorative about caring only for looks; 「見栄え」 is the positive way to say it.
- Antonym見劣りみおとりNeutralAntonym: looking inferior when compared with something else; 「見栄え」 means looking presentable, and the two are often set in contrast.
Use 「見栄え」 for saying that dishes, products and the like look good or presentable. When you just mean appearance, with no judgment of good or bad, use 「見た目」 or 「外見」; for a person's dress and grooming use 「身なり」, and for the exterior of buildings and objects 「外観」. Note that 「上辺」 and 「見てくれ」 often carry a negative tinge of mere surface, 「見栄」 and 「体裁」 are about vanity and propriety, and the antonym 「見劣り」 means looking inferior by comparison.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
See also
