Two Spanish verbs related to seeing: mirar (to look) involves directing your eyes at something, while observar (to observe) means looking carefully and attentively.
Usage
Mirar
- Used for general or casual looking.
- Implies directing your gaze toward something.
- Can mean "watch" when referring to TV or movies.
Observar
- Means to look carefully or attentively.
- Implies noticing details or studying something.
- Often used in scientific, artistic, or careful contexts.
Examples
Mirar
- Mirar la televisión todas las noches. (Watch TV every night.)
- ¿Puedes mirar ese cuadro? (Can you look at that painting?)
- Miró por la ventana. (She looked out the window.)
Observar
- Observar los cambios en el experimento. (Observe the changes in the experiment.)
- Él observa a las personas en el parque. (He observes the people in the park.)
- Observa cada detalle del dibujo. (Observe every detail of the drawing.)
Grammar Tips
- Both verbs require the preposition a when followed by a person (e.g., mirar a alguien, observar a alguien).
- Mirar can be followed directly by a noun, pronoun, or even an infinitive (e.g., mirar el reloj, mirar a ella, mirar salir).
- Observar is more formal and often appears in written or academic Spanish.
- Both verbs are regular in the present tense: yo miro, yo observo.
Using mirar is like glancing or looking, while observar suggests paying close attention or studying something carefully.
What are the first-person singular present tense forms of 'mirar' and 'observar'?
yo miro, yo observo
Both verbs are regular in the present tense, so their first-person singular forms are 'yo miro' and 'yo observo'.
When following a person, what preposition must both 'mirar' and 'observar' take?
The preposition 'a' (e.g., mirar a alguien, observar a alguien).
Both verbs require the preposition 'a' when the direct object is a person, following Spanish grammar rules for personal objects.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
