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LingakuLingaku[verb て-form] + ごらん [verb て-form] + ごらんなさい
The structure てごらん is used to gently suggest or encourage someone to try doing something. It attaches to the て-form of a verb and functions as a soft imperative, similar to "try doing ~" or "go ahead and ~" in English.
てごらん carries a warm, encouraging tone. It is most common by parents speaking to children, teachers to students, or more generally by someone in a senior or caring position toward someone junior. Because of this inherent top-down nuance, it would sound condescending if used toward a superior or someone of equal or higher social standing.
The word ごらん originally comes from ごらんになるご覧になる, the honorific form of みる見る (to look/see). However, てごらん as a grammar pattern is not honorific – it is a casual, gentle command. On its own, ごらん can mean "look!" as a soft imperative of 見る:
A slightly more formal or parental-sounding version is てごらんなさい, which adds なさい (a polite imperative ending). It retains the gentle encouragement but sounds a bit more instructional.
Both てごらん and てみる translate to "try doing ~," but they differ in usage. てみる is a neutral expression anyone can use about their own or others' actions (), while てごらん is specifically used to encourage someone else to try something and implies a caring or guiding relationship.