見える【みえる】

見える means "can be seen", "is visible": something is in sight without you trying to look. What is seen takes が, not を, and the place you see it from takes から.

• × 山を見える → 山が見える

見える is intransitive. みる見る is "to look at, to watch", something you do on purpose, and みせる見せる is "to show".

Looks, seems

見える also says how something looks to you. An い-adjective goes into its 〜く form, a noun or な-adjective takes に, and a verb takes ように.

• × 若いに見える → 若く見える

見える or 見られる

みられる見られる is the potential of みる見る: you get the chance to see something, a film or a festival, because it is on. In casual speech it is often みれる見れる. 見える is for what is in front of your eyes anyway.

In reports and the news, がみられる also means "is observed": a trend, a change, an improvement. That 見られる is not a potential and never becomes 見れる.

Usage notes

These go beyond seeing and looking.

Eyesight

With め目 as the subject, 見える is about whether someone's eyes work.

"Come", as an honorific

みえる見える and おみえになるお見えになる are a respectful way to say that someone has come or will come, said of guests and customers.