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Formation: V / い-adj plain form + と見える; な-adj / N + だ + と見える; connective: 〜と見えて

Used to draw a conclusion about someone or something else from what you can see: the speaker notices a clue and infers the reason behind it, as in 'apparently he was tired'. It sounds somewhat formal and a little old-fashioned, and it is more common in writing, especially narrative prose and essays, than in everyday conversation. It is used about other people or about situations, not about your own feelings, and the clue is often stated first, often with 〜ところを見ると ('judging from the fact that…'), which pairs naturally with it. Do not confuse it with 〜ように見える, which describes how something looks on the surface; 〜と見える is a judgment about what is actually the case. It is also less certain than 〜に違いない ('there is no doubt that'), and unlike 〜げ, which describes an outward air ('sad-looking'), it states an inferred fact. The connective form 〜と見えて gives the inference first and then the evidence behind it.

Variants: 〜と見えて、〜と見え、〜ところを見ると〜と見える

Examples

• 部屋の明かりが消えている。彼はもう寝たと見える。
  The light in his room is off. Apparently he has already gone to bed.
• 何度も時計を見ているところを見ると、よほど急いでいると見える。
  Judging from how often he checks his watch, he must be in quite a hurry.
• よほど慌てていたと見えて、彼女は傘を忘れていった。
  She must have been in a real rush, because she left her umbrella behind.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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