Grammar JLPT Level N4 - Lesson 27

Structure of に見(み)える:

Verb + よう⁽¹⁾ + に + みえる
［い］Adjective［い］+ そうに⁽²⁾ + みえる
［な］Adjective + （そう） + に + みえる
Noun + （の + よう⁽¹⁾）+ に + みえる

⁽¹⁾ みたい
⁽²⁾ く

Details about に見(み)える:

にみえる (primarily written only in hiragana) is a phrase that combines the case marking particleに, with the る-Verb見(み)える 'to appear', or 'to be visible'. This construction is regularly used with nouns, to show that something 'appears to be (A)', but it may also be partnered with the auxiliary verbs ようだ or そうだ (in their adverbial forms ように and そうに) to add a level of uncertainty. In these cases, it sounds closer to 'to seem to be (A)' in English.

あの雲(くも)はアイスクリームにみえる。
That cloud looks like ice cream.
サムの泳(およ)ぎ方(かた)は溺(おぼ)れているようにみえる。
Sam's way of swimming looks as if he is drowning.
寒(さむ)そうにみえるけど、大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)？
You look like you are cold, are you okay?
あの仕事(しごと)は大変(たいへん)そうにみえる。
That job looks like it is tough.
一人(ひとり)で暗(くら)い所(ところ)にいるとなんでも顔(かお)のようにみえる。
When I am in a dark place alone, everything looks like a face.

As with many other ようだ structures, みたい may be used instead. This creates the expression みたいにみえる. While this may appear confusing at first, it just means 'to look like something that could be (A)'. In this way it reinforces the 'guess' that the speaker is making.

このコートを着(き)ると太(ふと)ったみたいにみえるから嫌(きら)いだ。
It seems to look like I got fat when I wear this coat, so I don't like it.

に見(み)える

Usage Notes for に見(み)える:

In grammar constructions like this, kanji will very rarely be used. This is primarily because it will change the way a native speaker perceives the meaning. Many grammar structures are written purely in hiragana, specifically to express that they are a 'set' construction. Adding kanji can lead a reader to assume that the writer is highlighting the kanji's meaning, rather than the more common grammatical meaning.