と思える vs. と思われる vs. とされる: Meaning and Usage

To omoeru, to omowareru, and to sareru: nuances, formality, and side-by-side examples

Category: Concepts & Distinctions

What’s the difference between と思える (to omoeru), と思われる (to omowareru), and とされる (to sareru), and when should you use each one in Japanese?

Japanese has several ways of expressing an opinion indirectly, but they do not all frame a judgment in quite the same way:

• と思える conveys a personal impression;
• と思われる presents that impression as a more neutral inference;
• とされる, by contrast, presents the statement as something already recognized or generally accepted.

These constructions belong to a broader system of expressions that adjust the degree of certainty (or uncertainty). The same principle underlies the use of とは限らない and the marker のか.

At first glance, と思える, と思われる, and とされる may seem very similar, and indeed all three are often translated using phrases such as “it seems that,” “it is thought that,” or “is considered to be ~.”

In Japanese, however, the underlying mechanisms differ considerably: the apparent source of the judgment changes, as do the extent to which the speaker personally commits to it and the level of formality of the discourse.

Understanding this distinction is particularly useful when reading articles, essays, and academic texts, where Japanese often softens a judgment or presents it more impersonally rather than stating it outright.

In this article, then, we will explore how と思える・と思われる・とされる work, how much distance each creates between the speaker and the statement, and when to choose one over another to express different nuances more precisely.

The table below summarizes their main differences. In the following sections, we will examine the internal workings of all three constructions to understand precisely how Japanese modulates the way opinions are expressed indirectly. Finally, we will bring them together in a comparative overview highlighting their differences, similarities, and typical contexts of use.

と思える (to omoeru)・と思われる (to omowareru)・とされる (to sareru): what they mean and how they differ

The constructions と思える (to omoeru), と思われる (to omowareru), and とされる (to sareru) allow speakers to express an opinion, inference, or assessment indirectly. In English, they may correspond to expressions such as “it seems to me that,” “it is thought that,” and “is considered.”

Their meanings differ above all in the perspective from which the judgment is presented: a personal impression, a more impersonal conclusion, or an assessment already recognized within a particular context.

To understand how they work, it helps to start with と思う (to omou), commonly translated as “I think that.” In a sentence such as 私はこの方法が有効だと思う, “I think this method is effective,” the speaker explicitly presents the statement as their own opinion.

With the three constructions examined here, the relationship between the speaker and what is being asserted takes on different nuances: the judgment may emerge as an impression, be presented as a conclusion suggested by the circumstances, or refer to a view attributed to others.

と思える foregrounds what seems plausible to the speaker or what they naturally find themselves thinking. The judgment retains a personal, reflective quality: the speaker conveys how a situation appears to them, making their own perspective apparent. Translations such as “it seems to me that” or “I find myself thinking that” help capture this nuance.

この方法は有効だと思える。

The sentence presents the effectiveness of the method through the assessment of the person observing or considering it. The focus is on the impression the method makes on the speaker.

と思われる, by contrast, presents the judgment more impersonally, as a conclusion that seems natural to draw from the situation or the available evidence. The person making the assessment is less prominent, while the reasoning and the substance of the statement come to the fore. In English, this approach can be expressed as “it is thought that,” “it is believed that,” or “it appears that.”

この方法は有効だと思われる。

Here, effectiveness is presented in the tone of a reasoned assessment. Compared with the previous example, the personal viewpoint is less visible, and the sentence takes on a more detached quality, suitable, for instance, for presenting an analysis.

とされる refers to an already recognized assessment, a classification, or a position adopted in a particular context. The speaker presents something in terms of how it is regarded: by the wider community, by scholars, by an institution, or by the sources being discussed. The most straightforward translations are “is considered” and “is regarded as.”

この方法は有効だとされる。

In this case, the sentence invokes an existing assessment of the method’s effectiveness. The focus is on the assessment already associated with that method in the relevant context.

In all three examples, the underlying content remains the same: a method’s effectiveness. What changes, however, is how that content is presented to the reader or listener.

Recognizing this difference makes it easier to appreciate the tone of articles, essays, and expository texts, where personal impressions, inferences, and established assessments may alternate within the same line of reasoning. With this foundation in place, we can now examine the meaning, nuances, and uses of each construction in greater detail.

〜と思える - Meaning and Semantic Nuances

The construction 「〜と思える」 literally means “(something) can be thought of as ~” and corresponds to expressions such as “it seems that ~” or “it would appear that ~.”

It is the potential form of the verb 思う (“to think”), but in this context it does not indicate an actual ability to think. Instead, it expresses a spontaneous perception or personal impression. In other words, 〜と思える suggests that a particular idea comes naturally to mind: it is equivalent to saying “I find myself thinking that ~.”

Its principal nuance, then, is subjective intuition: the speaker conveys their personal feeling that something is a certain way while implicitly acknowledging that it may be only an impression.

Contexts of Use

〜と思える is used primarily in formal or semiformal writing, such as essays, opinion pieces, or literary texts, when writers want to present their own judgment in a nuanced way.

In contexts such as academic articles or reports, where 〜と思う might sound too direct and subjective, forms such as 〜と思われる or 〜と思える are often preferred to soften a statement.

Of the two, 〜と思える is used when the writer wishes to emphasize that they are expressing a personal impression rather than a fact established with full certainty.

In everyday conversation, 〜と思える is not particularly common; it sounds more reflective or somewhat elevated and is more likely to be heard in formal discussions, lectures, or perhaps narratives than in ordinary conversation (where speakers would more simply use 「〜と思う」 or phrases such as 「〜ように思う/感じる」).

Subjectivity

〜と思える is highly subjective. Someone using this form is indicating that “it seems to me that ~,” implying a personal assessment. This is why the sentence is generally constructed with 「私には〜と思える」(literally, “it seems to me that ~”) rather than 「私は〜と思える」.

The particle には emphasizes that the observation holds from the speaker’s own point of view. This construction signals that other people might not see things the same way, but that the conclusion arises spontaneously for the speaker.

Thus, 〜と思える carries both caution and subjectivity: the speaker is not asserting an objective truth but sharing a feeling or a passing impression.

Alongside と思える, we may also encounter 思える preceded by the conjectural ように, producing 「〜ように思える」.

The presence of this conjectural expression, which can be translated as “as though it were ~” or “it seems that ~,” makes the sentence sound more like an immediate, perceptual impression and adds a greater degree of caution than と思える alone.

In other words, the distinction between the two forms concerns the speaker’s degree of conviction or the impression they gain from a particular event: と思える tends to operate on the epistemic level (the speaker’s degree of conviction), whereas ように思える places greater emphasis on the phenomenological or perceptual impression.

Formality

Using 〜と思える gives a sentence a moderately formal, or at least measured, tone. It is characteristic of a neutral-to-formal register and is suitable for writing and situations where one wishes to sound courteous or diplomatic.

Although it does not reach the level of impersonality found in 「〜と思われる」 or 「〜とされる」, the expression has a mitigating effect: it softens the force of an assertion, making the statement less categorical.

In practice, 〜と思える is used when someone wants to share an opinion without sounding overly assertive, perhaps inviting the reader or listener to consider their perspective without imposing it.

In informal situations, 〜と思える may sound unusual or perhaps excessively cautious; in such cases, native speakers would opt for more colloquial forms (「気がする」, 「んじゃない？」, etc.).

Overall, then, と思える is a choice that conveys modesty, subjectivity, and restraint on the part of the speaker.

Examples

犯人はAさんのように思える。

一見簡単だと思える問題が、実は非常に複雑だ。

(In the first example, 「ように思える」 emphasizes the sense of resemblance or a vague impression—“as though A were the culprit”—clearly marking the idea as subjective. The second example shows 「〜と思える」 used attributively: “a problem that may seem easy…” In both cases, these are unconfirmed impressions.)

〜と思われる - Meaning and Semantic Nuances

The form 〜と思われる can be translated into English with expressions such as “it is believed that ~,” “it generally seems that ~,” or “the view is that ~.”

It is the passive form of the verb 思う, but in this context it serves an objectifying function: it presents an inference or hypothesis as though it did not come directly from the speaker but were instead a natural logical conclusion or a widely held opinion.

In effect, 〜と思われる allows speakers to put forward a hypothesis while distancing themselves from direct responsibility for the claim. In practical terms, it shifts the statement away from the speaker’s personal voice and toward an apparently shared view.

Its semantic nuance is therefore one of apparent objectivity: the statement sounds more like a reasoned observation than a personal feeling.

For example, 「犯人はAさんだと思われる」 can be understood as “it is (logically) believed that A is the culprit,” suggesting that the evidence points to that conclusion. In short, 〜と思われる conveys “it seems that ~” with the tone of an objective, reasoned assessment.

Contexts of Use

This expression is very common in formal writing, including academic texts, news articles, and official documents.

In these contexts, 〜と思われる is preferred over 「〜と思う」 because it lends statements a more neutral, authoritative quality.

For example, in a thesis or report, rather than writing 「この結果は正しいと思う」 (which would sound like the author’s personal opinion), it is more appropriate to use 「正しいと思われる」 to indicate that the result is judged to be correct on the basis of the analysis carried out.

In news reporting and journalistic writing, 〜と思われる is used to report estimates or suppositions without taking full responsibility for them: for example, 「この地域では近い将来大地震が起こると思われます」 (“it is believed that a major earthquake will occur in this region in the near future”), attributing the assessment to a broad scientific consensus or an inference.

In speech, 〜と思われる is less frequent, but it may occur in formal presentations or particularly respectful expressions.

Subjectivity

As we have seen, using 「〜と思われる」 greatly reduces the impression of subjectivity. The judgment expressed appears to be shared, or at least impersonal, rather than the opinion of one individual.

It is as though the speaker were taking a step back: 〜と思われる amounts to saying “(judging from the facts) it would appear that ~,” suggesting that the conclusion follows logically from the circumstances.

The degree of subjectivity is therefore low: the emphasis falls on the content of the statement rather than on a personal viewpoint.

Ultimately, 〜と思われる gives a statement an air of objectivity or implied consensus.

Formality

〜と思われる is considered a highly formal expression. Its main effect is to make what is being said sound both more authoritative and more cautious.

In a discussion, using 〜と思われる can lend credibility to a claim, making it sound more grounded in rational inference than in mere personal opinion.

For example, in a scientific document, an author might write 「これらの結果から、Xの効果があると思われる」 (“these results suggest that X has an effect”), which comes across as more objective than 「効果があると思う」.

In polite language, sentences using 〜と思われます can help soften a statement directed at the listener, particularly when expressing disagreement or a potentially sensitive judgment: for example, 「それは少し難しいと思われます」 (“that would appear to be a little difficult”) sounds more tactful than 「難しいと思います」.

To sum up, 〜と思われる combines a high level of formality with a cautious stance, making it particularly suitable when the speaker wishes to convey emotional distance and suggest that the statement rests on a shared logical basis.

Examples

犯人はAさんだと思われる。

これは現時点で最良の解決策だと思われる。

(In the first example, 「思われる」 presents the identification of the culprit as a logical inference or shared opinion rather than a subjective conviction. In the second, 「思われる」 suggests that the solution is regarded as the best on the basis of the available information, giving the statement a provisional yet authoritative tone.)

〜とされる - Meaning and Semantic Nuances

The expression 〜とされる literally means “to be treated as ~,” but a more natural translation is “to be considered ~” or “to be regarded as ~.”

It is the passive form of the verb 〜とする, used idiomatically to indicate that something is the subject of a particular assessment.

In practice, 〜とされる means that something is commonly accepted or defined in a certain way.

Typical English renderings include impersonal phrases such as “it is generally held that ~,” “is considered (to be) ~,” “is believed (to be) ~,” or “it is said that ~” (in the sense of a generally held view).

The nuance is that of a general or conventional statement: 〜とされる presents the content as an established fact, a definition, or a widely shared opinion rather than as a discovery or inference made by the author.

For example, 「彼のやったことは法律違反とされる」 means “what he did is considered a violation of the law,” regardless of what the author personally thinks.

Contexts of Use

〜とされる is a form found in formal written Japanese, frequently appearing in academic texts, official documents, and scientific articles, and more generally whenever the aim is to describe an accepted state of affairs.

It is used to present generally accepted theories or definitions. In journalism, too, 〜とされる appears when reporting a widespread belief or a rule.

In regulatory or bureaucratic documents, 〜とされる is used to state provisions in impersonal terms.

In speech, by contrast, this form is extremely rare outside very elevated registers (lectures, official speeches) or references to formal concepts; in informal contexts, ordinary speakers would be more likely to use 「〜と言われている」 to mean “it is said that ~.”

Thus, 〜とされる is essentially reserved for formal written communication, where it lends statements an impersonal, authoritative character.

Subjectivity

The degree of subjectivity in 〜とされる is practically zero. Someone using this form is not expressing their own opinion but reporting an assessment already established within a community or in authoritative sources.

In other words, 〜とされる represents complete detachment on the speaker’s part, as they do not assume direct responsibility for the statement.

From the standpoint of subjectivity, then, 〜とされる conveys the greatest degree of impersonality: what is said (or written) is presented as an external fact, unaffected by individual opinions.

Formality

〜とされる is an extremely formal construction. Its effect on the discourse is to lend authority and universality to the statement.

By using 〜とされる, the speaker presents the statement as though it were an established observation, almost like an encyclopedia entry or a legal principle. This is also particularly useful for distancing the author from potentially controversial claims by attributing them to commonly held views or third-party sources.

In Japanese official and academic documents, this form contributes to the impersonal, objective style characteristic of formal writing.

There is also the variant 〜とされている, the -te iru form, which is largely equivalent but places slightly greater emphasis on the fact that something continues to be considered a certain way.

In other words, 〜とされている emphasizes that the assessment remains current. In many cases, however, the two forms are interchangeable and equally formal.

In conclusion, 〜とされる gives a sentence an objective, formal, declarative tone and is unsuitable for colloquial contexts.

Examples

彼のやったことは法律違反とされる。

この祭りは日本で最も古いものの一つとされる。

Comparison and Summary of the Key Differences

The three expressions under discussion share certain features; for example, all three allow an assertion to be presented indirectly or with some degree of mitigation, but they also differ substantially in their contexts of use and nuances.

Broadly speaking, 「〜と思える」 and 「〜と思われる」 are connected to the verb 思う and convey the idea of seeming/thinking that ~, whereas 〜とされる derives from とする and conveys being considered/said to be ~.

Degree of Subjectivity

〜と思える is strongly subjective (a personal opinion or impression on the speaker’s part); 〜と思われる is more objective, presenting the idea as a logical inference or a shared view; 〜とされる is entirely impersonal, indicating a judgment already established by a community or an external authority.

In other words, 思える sounds like “I feel that…”, 思われる like “it is (logically) thought that…”, and とされる like “it is considered/defined as…”.


Contexts of Use

〜と思える and 〜と思われる occur in moderately formal to formal registers (especially in writing); both can replace 〜と思う in texts that call for a more formal tone.

〜と思われる is extremely common in academic and journalistic writing for statements presented as objective, whereas 〜と思える is used when the speaker acknowledges the subjective nature of a judgment, for instance in opinion essays or reflective contexts, and is less common in rigorous scientific articles (where personal assessments are kept to a minimum).

〜とされる is typical of official documents, popular science writing, and definitions: its register is decidedly formal and institutional.

In informal speech, none of the three forms is common: colloquial Japanese generally avoids both 〜と思える and 〜と思われる (in favor of simpler expressions such as 〜と思う/〜みたい/〜気がする), while 〜とされる is virtually absent except when quoting a formal statement.


Level of Formality

〜と思える has a moderately high level of formality: it sounds polite but retains a personal quality.

〜と思われる is highly formal, suitable for professional and written contexts where neutrality is expected.

〜とされる is extremely formal and is best reserved for formal or academic texts and official situations.

Pragmatically speaking, 思える softens a statement while still allowing the individual judgment to show through, 思われる makes it sound neutral and objectively grounded, and とされる elevates it to the status of an accepted definition.


Stylistic Nuances

〜と思える can appear in the construction 〜ように思える, emphasizing that something “seems as though ~.” It is often accompanied by 私には when the speaker wishes to make their personal point of view explicit (「私にはそう思える」, “that’s how it seems to me”).

〜と思われる, by contrast, does not require an explicit subject: saying 〜と思われる already implies an indefinite subject (“it is thought that ~”). If necessary, 私には may appear here too, indicating that the conclusion seems valid to the speaker, but it remains an impersonal judgment.

〜とされる does not allow a personal subject at all: saying ✕「私には〜とされる」 would be incorrect.


Comparative Usage Examples

In the following groups, the central idea stays the same, while the context highlights a different perspective on the judgment: a personal impression with と思える, a more impersonal inference with と思われる, and an already recognized assessment with とされる.

Vocabulary Learning

自分の経験からすると、単語は単独で覚えるより、例文の中で覚えるほうが効果的だと思える。

The judgment stems from personal experience: the speaker presents what seems to work best to them.

二つのクラスの成績を比較すると、単語は単独で覚えるより、例文の中で覚えるほうが効果的だと思われる。

The greater effectiveness is presented as a conclusion suggested by the comparison of the results.

この学校では、単語は単独で覚えるより、例文の中で覚えるほうが効果的だとされる。

The statement refers to the assessment adopted by the school, presenting it as an established position within the institution.

Interpreting a Literary Work

読み返してみると、この小説は作者の人生観を理解する上で重要だと思える。

The importance of the work emerges as a personal assessment formed through reading.

他の作品と比較すると、この小説は作者の人生観を理解する上で重要だと思われる。

The comparison between the works provides a basis for the judgment, which is expressed more impersonally.

文学研究では、この小説は作者の人生観を理解する上で重要だとされる。

The assessment is attributed to literary scholarship rather than to an individual reader’s impression.

Dating a Historic Building

建物の様式を見ると、この城は江戸時代の初めに建てられたと思える。

The speaker offers a personal impression of when the building was constructed, based on its architectural features.

出土した品や古い記録から、この城は江戸時代の初めに建てられたと思われる。

The dating is presented as an inference supported by artifacts and documentary evidence.

郷土史の研究では、この城は江戸時代の初めに建てられたとされる。

The sentence refers to the dating accepted in local historical scholarship.

Behavior and Social Conventions

私には、相手が話し終わる前に何度も口を挟むのは失礼だと思える。

私には explicitly identifies the personal perspective from which the behavior is being judged.

発言の機会を奪うことになるため、相手が話し終わる前に何度も口を挟むのは失礼だと思われる。

The judgment is justified by the consequences of the behavior and presented as a reasoned assessment.

一般に、相手が話し終わる前に何度も口を挟むのは失礼だとされる。

一般に and とされる present the judgment as a generally recognized social convention.

Conclusions

In this article, we have seen that the difference between と思える, と思われる, and とされる lies primarily in how a judgment is presented and the relationship the speaker establishes with it.

As a practical guide:

• と思える highlights an assessment that seems natural or plausible to the person making it;
• と思われる presents a conclusion as something that naturally follows from the circumstances, while keeping the person making the judgment in the background;
• とされる presents an assessment or classification as one adopted within a particular context. The choice therefore depends on the perspective from which one wishes to present the statement, as well as on its context and register.

These distinctions should not be confused with how certain the information itself is.

Beyond the nuances of each expression discussed in the preceding sections, it is important to clarify that an impersonal tone does not automatically make a statement objective or proven: と思われる can also convey an author’s personal interpretation, while とされる may introduce a widely held belief, a position attributed to particular sources, or a conventional classification.

To judge how reliable a statement is, we need to consider the evidence provided in the text. Even very formal wording can leave open the question of who holds a particular view and on what grounds.

For Japanese learners, a good habit is therefore to read these expressions together with what comes before and after them. Phrases such as この結果から, “based on these results,” may indicate the starting point of an argument; expressions such as 専門家の間では, “among experts,” help identify the group to which an assessment is attributed.

What follows matters too: a sentence containing とされているが may introduce a commonly accepted position that the author is about to examine or challenge. Recognizing this transition helps distinguish a reported belief from the position actually being advanced in the text.

When writing in Japanese, it helps to start with the purpose of the sentence: are we expressing our own assessment, proposing a conclusion, or referring to an existing position? This question helps us choose the appropriate construction more precisely.

When reporting a view held in a particular field, identifying its source makes the statement clearer; when proposing an interpretation, spelling out the reasons helps readers follow the argument. The grammatical form clarifies the writer’s relationship to the claim, while data, reasoning, and sources support its substance.

One useful exercise is to collect authentic examples, keeping the surrounding sentences as well, and note for each one who is making the judgment, what evidence it rests on, and how the author positions themselves in relation to it.

Then try substituting one construction for another to see how the interpretation changes: a personal assessment can take on the appearance of an impersonal conclusion, or a conclusion can begin to sound like a position already adopted by others. It is precisely this awareness of perspective that leads to a more nuanced understanding and use of these three expressions.

References

• Tanaka, Hiroshi (2010). 「いう」と「おもう」の言語学―複合辞を用いた日本語の主体・主観表現―. 立命館言語文化研究, 22(2), pp. 145–179. See especially Section 7.4 for a comparison of と思える and と思われる.

• Sugita, Kuniko (1997). 学術論文における思考判断を表す文末表現の用法―「と思う」と「と考える」を中心にして―. 言語文化, 34, pp. 105–112. An analysis of sentence-ending expressions of thought and judgment in academic writing, including と思われる.

• IMABI. Spontaneity: ～（ら）れる & ～える. An explanation of spontaneity (自発), with examples of 思える and 思われる.

• JLPT Sensei. とされる (to sareru). Meaning, formation, and examples of とされる and its variant とされている.