とみえる

It seems that, It can be deduced, One can conclude that

家いえの窓まどが外そとから割わられていた。泥棒どろぼうに入はいられたとみえる。

The windows of the house have been broken from the outside, so I can deduce that a burglar came in.

Explanation

「〜とみえる」 means 'it seems that …'. The speaker reasons from signs or facts seen on the spot and reaches a conclusion: 「電気を消して寝ている。疲れていたとみえる」 (He's asleep with the light off. He must have been tired). It follows the thought 'I see A, so B', is rather bookish, and sounds calm and objective.

Mixed up with

Compared with other guesses: 「とみえる」 reasons from clues in front of you and is bookish; 「らしい」 can rest on hearsay or indirect information and is used widely; 「ようだ」 leans on overall impression or comparison.

It is most easily confused with 「にみえる」: for outward looks use 「に見える」; for inferring cause and effect from evidence use 「とみえる」.

Easily confused withにみえる・とみえる: the difference ›

Examples

彼かれは上着うわぎを脱ぬいだ。彼かれは暑あついとみえる。
He took off his jacket, so it seems that he is hot.
彼かれはサンドイッチを残のこした。彼かれはサンドイッチが嫌きらいだとみえる。
He left the sandwich, so I can conclude that he doesn't like sandwiches.
あの親おやは優やさしいとみえる。
Those parents seem nice.
トムは今日きょうは会社かいしゃに来こなかった。トムは昨日きのう風邪かぜを引ひいたから今日きょうは休やすみだとみえる。
Tom didn't come to work today. He caught a cold yesterday, so I can conclude that he is resting today.
家いえに行いったけど留守るすと見みえた。
I went to their house, but it seemed that they weren't home.
彼かれはマラソンを走はしったと見みえてハアハア言いっている。
It seems that he ran a marathon, he is breathing heavily.
テストに落おちたから、勉強べんきょうしてなかったと見みえる。
Since he failed the test, one can conclude that he did not study.
道みちが濡ぬれている。夜中よなかに雨あめが降ふったと見みえる。
The road is wet. It seems it rained during the night.
彼かれは今いまプールから出でてきたと見みえて、全身ぜんしんが濡ぬれている。
He seems to have just got out of the pool; he's soaked all over.
教おしえる必要ひつようがなかった。元々もともと知しっていたと見みえる。
There was no need to teach it. It seems they already knew it.
もう準備じゅんびしてあった。誰だれかから聞きいていたと見みえる。
They had already prepared. One can conclude that they heard about it from someone.
誰だれも理解りかい出来できていないと見みえて、皆みんなは難むずかしい顔かおをしていた。
One can conclude that no one understood from all of the confused faces.
この店みせは人気にんきがあると見みえて、いつも行列ぎょうれつができている。
This shop seems to be popular; there's always a line.
外そとに干ほした洗濯物せんたくものはびしょ濡ぬれです。雨あめが降ふったと見みえる。
The laundry that I hung outside is soaking wet. It can be deduced that it rained.
部屋へやの電気でんきが点ついている。彼かれはまだ忙いそがしいと見みえる。
The light in his room is on. It seems he's still busy.
幽霊ゆうれいを見みたとき、彼女かのじょが叫さけんだ。驚おどろいたと見みえる。
When she saw a ghost, she screamed. One could conclude that she was surprised.
今日きょうの宿題しゅくだいは難むずかしかったと見みえて、誰だれも終おわらせてなかった。
One can conclude that today's homework was difficult, because no one completed it.

Explanation

Mixed up with

It is most easily confused with 「にみえる」: for outward looks use 「に見える」; for inferring cause and effect from evidence use 「とみえる」.

Examples

彼かれは上着うわぎを脱ぬいだ。彼かれは暑あついとみえる。
He took off his jacket, so it seems that he is hot.
彼かれはサンドイッチを残のこした。彼かれはサンドイッチが嫌きらいだとみえる。
He left the sandwich, so I can conclude that he doesn't like sandwiches.
あの親おやは優やさしいとみえる。
Those parents seem nice.
トムは今日きょうは会社かいしゃに来こなかった。トムは昨日きのう風邪かぜを引ひいたから今日きょうは休やすみだとみえる。
Tom didn't come to work today. He caught a cold yesterday, so I can conclude that he is resting today.
家いえに行いったけど留守るすと見みえた。
I went to their house, but it seemed that they weren't home.
彼かれはマラソンを走はしったと見みえてハアハア言いっている。
It seems that he ran a marathon, he is breathing heavily.
テストに落おちたから、勉強べんきょうしてなかったと見みえる。
Since he failed the test, one can conclude that he did not study.
道みちが濡ぬれている。夜中よなかに雨あめが降ふったと見みえる。
The road is wet. It seems it rained during the night.
彼かれは今いまプールから出でてきたと見みえて、全身ぜんしんが濡ぬれている。
He seems to have just got out of the pool; he's soaked all over.
教おしえる必要ひつようがなかった。元々もともと知しっていたと見みえる。
There was no need to teach it. It seems they already knew it.
もう準備じゅんびしてあった。誰だれかから聞きいていたと見みえる。
They had already prepared. One can conclude that they heard about it from someone.
誰だれも理解りかい出来できていないと見みえて、皆みんなは難むずかしい顔かおをしていた。
One can conclude that no one understood from all of the confused faces.
この店みせは人気にんきがあると見みえて、いつも行列ぎょうれつができている。
This shop seems to be popular; there's always a line.
外そとに干ほした洗濯物せんたくものはびしょ濡ぬれです。雨あめが降ふったと見みえる。
The laundry that I hung outside is soaking wet. It can be deduced that it rained.
部屋へやの電気でんきが点ついている。彼かれはまだ忙いそがしいと見みえる。
The light in his room is on. It seems he's still busy.
幽霊ゆうれいを見みたとき、彼女かのじょが叫さけんだ。驚おどろいたと見みえる。
When she saw a ghost, she screamed. One could conclude that she was surprised.
今日きょうの宿題しゅくだいは難むずかしかったと見みえて、誰だれも終おわらせてなかった。
One can conclude that today's homework was difficult, because no one completed it.