How to Say ‘I'm just looking.’ in Japanese
見ているだけです
mi te iru dake desu
[mee teh eeru dah-keh dess]
💬 Usage Tip: 〜ているだけです means "I'm only doing ~". The い in 見ている is often dropped in speech, giving (mite ru dake desu).
🇯🇵 In Japan: Shop staff greet you with いらっしゃいませ "welcome", but you don't need to reply. Use this phrase only if a clerk comes over to help.
Phrase Breakdown
見ている
mi te iru
looking
見て (te-form of 見る, to look) + いる shows an ongoing action: 'am looking'.
テレビを見ている。
I'm watching TV.
Words in this phrase
見
mi
[mee]
see; look
From 見る, meaning to see or look at something.
展示を見 てみます。
I will try looking at the exhibit.
て
te
[teh]
te-form ending
This ending connects actions, like 'cut and...' in instructions.
てをつけると、つぎのどうさにつなげられます。
When you add -te, you can connect it to the next action.
いる
iru
[eeru]
is doing
いる after て can show an ongoing action or current state.
応援しているの？のいるで今の状態を表します。
The いる in 応援しているの？ shows the current ongoing state.
だけです
dake desu
just / only
だけ means 'only / just', and です makes it polite. Together they mean 'it's just...'.
少しだけです。
It's just a little.
Words in this phrase
だけ
dake
[dah-keh]
only; just
Means 'only' or 'just', often to soften a statement.
見ているだけです。
I'm just looking.
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.
少し伺いたいです。
I would like to ask a little.
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