Trying making a bet with 〜てみる

Grammar Explanation: Trying it out with 〜てみる

Chiya and Chino prepare to play a game of chess.

千夜(ちや):: 「せっかくだし何(なに)か賭(か)けてみない？」; “Since we have the chance, want to try betting something?”; Literal: “Since we have the chance, won't we try betting something?”

Key Points

1賭(か)けてみない invites Chino to try a wager

賭(か)ける takes the て form before みる, giving the sense of testing the idea by doing it.

2The negative question functions as a proposal

〜てみない？ means “want to try…?” rather than predicting that Chino will not act.

3せっかくだし supplies an open-ended reason

Chiya treats the game as a useful opportunity, and し suggests that this is enough reason to make it interesting.