Hindi · Everyday Verbs

"to look / to watch" in Hindi: देखना

देखनाdekhna

Say it: DEKH-naaverb/d̪eːkʰnɑː/

Note: same verb as "to see"

To look in Hindi is देखना (dekhna), the same verb as to see. Casual dekho means look; polite aap dekhiye. Use dekh rahe hain for are looking right now.

Pointing at a menu

इधर देखिए, दाल वाला सेक्शन है।

idhar dekhiye, daal wala section hai.

Look here — this is the dal section.
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How to pronounce देखना

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DEKH-naa

/d̪eːkʰnɑː/

Dekhna is DEKH-naa with aspirated kh. Dekho is short; dekhiye keeps the polite -iye clear.

"to look / to watch" in Hindi: quick reference

HindiEnglish
देखनाdekhnato look; to see

Dictionary form.

देखोdekholook (casual)

With tum or as an attention call.

देखिएdekhiyeplease look

Polite with aap.

देख रहा हूँdekh raha hoonI am looking

Present continuous.

नज़र डालनाnazar daalnato glance

A quick look.

How to use देखना in real life

  1. 1Pointing at a menu

    इधर देखिए, दाल वाला सेक्शन है।

    idhar dekhiye, daal wala section hai.

    Look here — this is the dal section.

    Polite dekhiye with aap energy.

  2. 2Crossing the street

    पहले बाएँ देखो, फिर चलो।

    pehle baayen dekho, phir chalo.

    Look left first, then go.

    Traffic safety use of dekho.

  3. 3Finding a seat

    क्या आप खाली कुर्सी देख रहे हैं?

    kya aap khaali kursi dekh rahe hain?

    Are you looking at an empty chair?

    Continuous dekh rahe hain.

Mistakes English speakers make with देखना

Incorrect: Main look kar raha hoon.

Correct: Main dekh raha hoon. / मैं देख रहा हूँ।

Use देखना forms (देख रहा हूँ), not English look plus karna.

Incorrect: Aap dekho idhar (to a stranger).

Correct: Aap idhar देखिए (dekhiye).

With aap prefer देखिए (dekhiye), not dekho.

Good to know

Dekho works as a soft hey, look when storytelling, not only as a command. The same देखना root covers looking, watching TV, and seeing someone — context and adverbs like dhyaan se sharpen the sense.

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Spotting a friend in a crowded market

  1. ChatPal

    उधर देखो, नीली शर्ट वाला कौन है?

    udhar dekho, neeli shirt wala kaun hai?

    Look over there — who’s the one in the blue shirt?

  2. You

    रुको, मैं देख रहा हूँ… अरे, वह रोहन है!

    ruko, main dekh raha hoon… are, vah Rohan hai!

    Wait, I’m looking… oh, that’s Rohan!

  3. ChatPal

    सच? एक बार फिर से देखिए।

    sach? ek baar phir se dekhiye.

    Really? Please look once more.

  4. You

    हाँ, अब साफ़ दिख रहा है, चलकर मिलते हैं।

    haan, ab saaf dikh raha hai, chalkar milte hain.

    Yes, it’s clear now — let’s go say hi.

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"to look / to watch" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to look / to watch" in Hindi

Is to-look different from to-see?

Both use देखना (dekhna). English splits them; Hindi relies on context.

Dekho or dekhiye?

Dekho is casual; देखिए (dekhiye) is polite with aap.

How do I say look carefully?

Dhyaan se dekhiye or gaur se dekho.

What about watch a film?

Still देखना: film dekhna / film dekh rahe hain.

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