やってみる

To use this, you need the te-form of any verb. Just take your verb and attach miru to the end. For example, taberu (eat) becomes tabete miru (try eating). If you want to be polite, change miru to mimasu. It is incredibly flexible and works with almost any action. You will sound like a natural by using it for daily experiments. It turns a boring 'I will do it' into an adventurous 'I will try it.'

Use this when you are at a restaurant looking at a weird menu item. Use it when a colleague asks if you can handle a new software. It is perfect for texting a friend about a new gym class. If you are standing at a karaoke booth and feel nervous, say it! It lowers the pressure on you because it implies a trial run. It is the perfect phrase for beginners exploring Japan for the first time.

Do not use this for things you are already an expert at. If you have played piano for ten years, do not say yattemiru. It sounds like you are pretending to be a novice. Also, avoid it in high-stakes situations where 'trying' is not enough. If your boss asks if you will finish a million-dollar project, use yarimasu (I will do it). Using yattemiru there might make you sound a bit non-committal or flaky.

Japanese culture deeply values the 'spirit of challenge' or chosen. However, there is also a strong sense of humility. Yattemiru perfectly balances these two values. It shows you are proactive but acknowledges you might not succeed immediately. It reflects the 'trial and error' mindset common in Japanese craftsmanship and education. It is a very positive, forward-looking phrase that people love to hear.

In casual speech, you might hear yattemiru ne to sound friendly. If you are asking someone else to try, say yattemite! (Give it a try!). For a more formal setting, always use yattemimasu. If you are feeling determined, you might say yatte miyou, which means 'Let's try it!' You might even hear kids say yattemiru mon!, which is a cute, stubborn way of saying 'I'm gonna try it!'