kijken vs zien
Dutch word comparison
Listen to kijken
Listen to zien
| kijken | zien |
|---|---|
/KAI-ken/ verb | /zeen/ verb |
| to look; to watch | to see; to perceive with the eyes |
How they differ
Zien is about the result of perception, while kijken is about the act of directing your eyes. You can kijken without echt zien, for example when you look somewhere absent-mindedly; zien implies that something is actually noticed.
When to use each
When to use kijken: Use kijken when you want to describe the action of looking or watching.
When to use zien: Use zien when you mean that something is seen or noticed, not just looked at.
Side-by-side examples
- Ik kijk naar de sterren.
(I am looking at the stars.) - Ik zie de sterren nu duidelijk.
(I can see the stars clearly now.)
Register & nuance: Zien is very common and neutral, but it is not a direct action verb like kijken.