Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“Try (to do X),” “Go ahead and do X (and see),” “Why don’t you (do X).”
🎯 Primary Function
To give a mild command or suggestion, encouraging the listener to perform an action and observe the outcome or gain experience.
📋 Grammar Structure
動詞のて形 (Verb Te-form) + ごらん
N/A (Applies only to verbs)
N/A (Applies only to verbs)
N/A (Applies only to the positive te-form of verbs, often including the auxiliary verb してみる)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Generally inappropriate; conveys a sense of hierarchy or familiarity that is unsuitable for formal settings.
Informal Situations
Highly common, especially between family members (parents to children) or teachers to students.
Written Language
Appears primarily in dialogue within novels, manga, or scripts.
Spoken Language
Very common in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Encouraging an action for testing or tasting
Used when encouraging someone to sample or test something new, implying a solicitation for feedback or observation of the result.
Example: この新しいジュース、飲んでごらん。
Giving a gentle instruction to a junior or child
Functions as a soft imperative, urging the listener (typically a subordinate) to perform an action, often to learn or solve a problem on their own.
Example: わからなければ、もう一度自分でやってごらん。
Suggesting observation or attention
Used to draw the listener’s attention to something noteworthy, similar to saying “Look at that!” but with a gentle instruction.
Example: あの空の鳥を見てごらん。
Frequency
Common, especially in familiar or instructional contexts.
Difficulty
JLPT N3 / N2 Intermediate
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
新しいケーキができたから、一口食べてごらん。
Furigana: あたらしケーキができたから、ひとくちたべてごらん。
Romaji: Atarashii kēki ga dekita kara, hitokuchi tabete goran.
English: The new cake is ready, so please try one bite.
Example #2
この問題が難しかったら、もう一度よく考えてごらん。
Furigana: このもんだいがむずかしかったら、もういちどよくかんがえてごらん。
Romaji: Kono mondai ga muzukashikattara, mō ichido yoku kangaete goran.
English: If this problem is difficult, try thinking about it well one more time.
Example #3
そんなに心配しないで、一度お母さんに電話してみごらん。
Furigana: そんなにしんぱいしないで、いちどおかあさんにでんわしてみごらん。
Romaji: Sonna ni shinpai shinaide, ichido okāsan ni denwa shite mi goran.
English: Don’t worry so much; try calling your mother once.
Example #4
本当に痛いんなら、先生に正直に話してみごらん。
Furigana: ほんとうにいたいんなら、せんせいにしょうじきにはなしてみごらん。
Romaji: Hontō ni itai n’nara, sensei ni shōjiki ni hanashite mi goran.
English: If it truly hurts, try talking honestly to the teacher.
Example #5
あのきれいな夕焼け空を見てごらん。感動するよ。
Furigana: あのきれいなゆうやけそらをみてごらん。かんどうするよ。
Romaji: Ano kirei na yūyakezora o mite goran. Kandō suru yo.
English: Look at that beautiful sunset sky. You’ll be moved.
Example #6
自転車に乗れるようになるには、何度も練習してみごらん。
Furigana: じてんしゃにのれるようになるには、なんどもれんしゅうしてみごらん。
Romaji: Jitensha ni noreru yō ni naru ni wa, nando mo renshū shite mi goran.
English: To become able to ride a bicycle, you have to try practicing many times.
Example #7
彼が何と言っているか分からないなら、もう一度聞き直してみごらん。
Furigana: かれがなにいっているかわからないなら、もういちどききなおしてみごらん。
Romaji: Kare ga nani o itte iru ka wakaranai nara, mō ichido kikinoshite mi goran.
English: If you don’t understand what he’s saying, try asking him again.
Example #8
靴のサイズが合うか心配なら、一度履いてごらん。
Furigana: くつのサイズがあうかしんぱいなら、いちどはいてごらん。
Romaji: Kutsu no saizu ga au ka shinpai nara, ichido haite goran.
English: If you are worried if the shoe size fits, try putting them on once.
Example #9
疲れているでしょう。少し休んでごらん。
Furigana: つかれているでしょう。すこしやすんでごらん。
Romaji: Tsukarete iru deshō. Sukoshi yasunde goran.
English: You must be tired. Try resting a little.
Example #10
ピアノの練習を始める前に、まず楽譜を読んでごらん。
Furigana: ピアノのれんしゅうをはじめるまえに、まずがくふをよんでごらん。
Romaji: Piano no renshū o hajimeru mae ni, mazu gakufu o yonde goran.
English: Before starting piano practice, first try reading the music score.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Second Person Instruction Only
The pattern is exclusively directed at the second person (the listener). It cannot be used in reference to the speaker’s own actions or a third person’s actions.
Example: 先生：「君が自分でこの計算をやってごらん。」
Softened Imperative
The nuance is softer than a strict imperative (like 食べろ) or なさい (tabenasai), acting as an encouragement or recommendation rather than a forceful command.
Example: 「これ、美味しいよ。食べてごらん。」
Implies Testing/Observation
It often includes the implication of “and see what happens” or “and observe the result,” making it ideal for experimental or experiential suggestions.
Example: 「試食コーナーで、このチーズを食べてごらん。」
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 上司に「この資料を見てごらん」と言う。
✅ 社長に「資料をご覧になってください」と言う。
Using てごらん towards superiors or elders is highly impolite, as it carries an instructional/superior tone. Use polite request forms like 〜てみてください or honorific forms instead.
❌ 「疲れたから、私が休んでごらん。」と言う。
✅ 「私が行ってごらん」ではなく、「私が行ってみる」と言う。
てごらん is an instruction directed *at the listener*. It cannot be used to talk about the speaker’s own intent (which requires 〜てみる).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Casual to Familiar/Paternal. It implies a hierarchical relationship where the speaker has the right to instruct the listener.
Social Situations: Used by parents, grandparents, teachers, or senpai (senior) addressing children, students, or kōhai (junior).
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. Some regional dialects may have different soft imperative forms.
🔍 Subtle Differences
〜てごらん vs. 〜てみる
てみる expresses the speaker’s own attempt or trial (I will try). てごらん commands the listener to attempt something (You try).
When to use: Use 〜てみる when talking about your own efforts; use 〜てごらん when directing someone junior to try something.
〜てごらん vs. 〜なさい
なさい is a stricter, more formal, and direct command (e.g., from a principal). てごらん is softer, more familial, and instructional.
When to use: Use 〜なさい when you need a clear, non-negotiable instruction to a subordinate; use 〜てごらん when encouraging or testing gently.
〜てごらん vs. 〜たらどうですか
〜たらどうですか (How about doing X?) is a polite suggestion. てごらん is a command/instruction, albeit a gentle one, implying the speaker’s authority.
When to use: Use 〜たらどうですか for polite suggestions to peers or seniors; use 〜てごらん for gentle instructions to juniors.
📝 Conjugation Notes
The structure always requires a verb in the て-form. ごらん is historically derived from the imperative form of ご覧なさい (go-ran nasai), meaning “please look,” but it has been lexicalized into this fixed pattern.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounce ごらん (goran) with a slight stress on the second syllable, similar to other soft imperatives. The ‘r’ sound is the Japanese flapped ‘r’, not the English ‘r’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ごらん (goran) as related to 見る (miru – to see). You are instructing the listener to “do X and see/look” at the outcome.
Other Grammar
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