Translation and Meaning of: 見付かる - mitsukaru

The word 「見付かる」 (mitsukaru) is a Japanese verb that can be translated as "to be found" or "to be discovered." This term is composed of two kanji: 「見」 (mi), which means "to see" or "to look," and 「付」 (tsuku or tsukaru), which can mean "to attach," "to join," or "to find." When combined, they convey the idea of something that has been discovered or brought to sight. The verb is used in the passive form, indicating that the action of being found is performed by another person or force.

Etymologically, 「見」 is a kanji that dates back to ancient times and is often associated with the action of observing or perceiving something. It has the key 「目」 (me), which means "eye", reinforcing the idea of the visual sense. On the other hand, the kanji 「付」 is associated with the idea of coupling or adding, formed by the combination of 「亻」 (ninben) which suggests association with people and 「寸」 which historically meant "measurement" or "proportion". The combination results in the idea of finding and uniting a particular vision to human perception.

「見付かる」 is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not require a direct object to complete its meaning, unlike its transitive counterpart 「見付ける」 (mitsukeru), which means "to find" or "to discover" something or someone. While 「見付ける」 emphasizes the action of searching or actively looking for something, 「見付かる」 tends to indicate that something or someone has been discovered, perhaps unexpectedly or by chance.

In the Japanese language, 「見付かる」 is widely used in contexts that range from everyday situations, such as finding lost keys, to more dramatic stories, like characters being revealed or discovered in narratives. The presence of this expression in the language explores both the practical and philosophical nature of the concept of discovery, whether accidental or the result of a careful search. This gives the Japanese language a unique vocabulary richness that often extends beyond the simple literal translation in other languages.

Vocabulary

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Verb conjugation of 見付かる

• 見付かる - basic form
• 見付かります - polite form
• 見付かりました - Past polite form
• 見付かっています - Continuous form
• 見付かれば conditional form

Synonyms and similar words

• 見つかる (mitsukaru) - to be found; to be discovered
• 見付ける (mitsukeru) - find something; discover something (active act of finding)
• 発見する (hakken suru) - discover; to make a discovery (usually implies something new)
• 探し出す (sagashidasu) - search and find; actively seek until you find

見付かる

Romaji: mitsukaru
Kana: みつかる
Type: verb
L: jlpt-n4, jlpt-n2

Translation / Meaning: to be found; to be discovered

Meaning in English: to be found;to be discovered

Definition: find.