The verb ver means to see and is used to talk about perceiving something with the eyes or watching something. It is irregular in certain tenses (such as the preterite and subjunctive) but regular in most forms. It is often followed by direct objects or can introduce subordinate clauses with que (meaning "that"). Below are the main irregular patterns and usage examples.
Irregular Conjugations
| Tense | Spanish Irregular Form | English Irregular Form | Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | veo, ves, ve, vemos, veis, ven | I see, you see, ... | Yo veo la montaña. | I see the mountain. |
| Preterite | vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron | I saw, you saw, ... | Nosotros vimos la película. | We saw the movie. |
| Imperfect | veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían | I used to see, you used to see, ... | Ella veía la tele todos los días. | She used to watch TV every day. |
| Future | veré, verás, verá, veremos, veréis, verán | I will see, you will see, ... | Veré tu casa mañana. | I will see your house tomorrow. |
| Conditional | vería, verías, vería, veríamos, veríais, verían | I would see, you would see, ... | Veríamos el concierto si tuviéramos tiempo. | We would see the concert if we had time. |
| Present Subjunctive | vea, veas, vea, veamos, veáis, vean | I see (subj.), you see (subj.), ... | Espero que veas a María. | I hope you see María. |
| Imperfect Subjunctive | viera, vieras, viera, viéramos, vierais, vieran | I saw (subj.), you saw (subj.), ... | Si yo viera eso, reaccionaría. | If I saw that, I would react. |
| Past Participle | visto | seen | He visto la noticia. | I have seen the news. |
I hope you see María.
Espero que veas a María.
'Veas' is the correct present subjunctive form after 'que.' The other options are indicative or incorrect.
Usage and Examples
Seeing or Watching
Use ver to talk about the act of seeing, watching, or looking at something.
| Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Veo las estrellas por la noche. | I see the stars at night. |
| ¿Ves ese pájaro en el árbol? | Do you see that bird in the tree? |
| Ellos ven la televisión juntos. | They watch TV together. |
Do you see that bird in the tree?
¿Ves ese pájaro en el árbol?
The correct sentence matches the question exactly. The others change the location or use an indefinite article.
Ver + [noun]
Use ver followed by a direct object (noun or pronoun) to indicate what is being seen.
| Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Veo una película en el cine. | I watch a movie at the cinema. |
| ¿Viste el partido anoche? | Did you see the game last night? |
| Vemos a los niños jugar en el parque. | We see the children playing in the park. |
Ver + que + [clause]
Use ver que to introduce a full clause, often to report something observed or realized.
| Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Veo que estás cansado. | I see that you are tired. |
| ¿Ves que el tren ya llegó? | Do you see that the train has arrived? |
| Veo que María no vino hoy. | I see that María didn’t come today. |
Common Idiomatic Expressions with ver
| Spanish Expression | English Meaning | Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ver a alguien | to see someone | Vi a Juan en el mercado. | I saw Juan at the market. |
| no ver la hora de ... | to be eager to ... | No veo la hora de salir. | I can’t wait to leave. |
| ver la luz | to come to light / be revealed | El misterio finalmente vio la luz. | The mystery finally came to light. |
| ver el lado bueno | to see the bright side | Siempre veo el lado bueno de todo. | I always see the bright side of everything. |
I can’t wait to leave.
No veo la hora de salir.
'No veo la hora de salir' is the correct idiomatic expression. Other options use incorrect prepositions or alter the meaning.
Summary
- ver means to see and is used for visual perception and watching.
- Irregular forms appear in the preterite, subjunctive, and perfect participle (visto).
- Use ver + noun to say what is seen.
- Use ver que + [clause] to introduce reported observations.
- Look out for common idiomatic expressions to sound more natural.
With this understanding of ver, you can confidently use this important irregular verb in a wide range of contexts.
Flashcards (1 of 21)
- Tense: Present
- Example: Yo veo la montaña.
- English Irregular Form: I see, you see, ...
- English Example: I see the mountain.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
