sehen

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See also: Sehen

German

Alternative forms

  • seh'n, sehn (dated in formal prose, but still common informally or poetically)

Etymology

From Middle High German sehen, from Old High German sehan, from Proto-Germanic *sehwaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Compare Low German sehn, Hunsrik sihn, Dutch zien, English see, Danish se, Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽 (saiƕan).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈzeː.ən/ Lua error in Module:parameters at line 376: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "official standard, but less common" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E.
  • IPA(key): /zeːn/ Lua error in Module:parameters at line 376: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "predominant" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E.
  • Rhymes: -eːən, -eːn
  • Homophone: Seen Lua error in Module:parameters at line 376: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "only according to the official standard" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E.
  • audio (Germany):(file)
  • audio (Austria):(file)

Verb

Template:de-verb-strong

  1. (intransitive) to see; to have sight
    Er sieht nicht gut. ― He doesn’t see well.
  2. (transitive) to see (something); to perceive by vision
    • 2016, Selma Lagerlöf, Mathilde Mann (translator), Karl-Maria Guth (editor), Jerusalem. Erster und zweiter Teil, Sammlung Hofenberg im Verlag der Contumax GmbH, Berlin, page 225:
      Sahest du nicht den Patriarchen der Armenier ebenso wie den der Griechen und der Assyrer ihre Throne hier errichten? Und sahest du nicht Kopten aus dem alten Ägypten und Abessinier aus dem Herzen Afrikas kommen? Du sahest Jerusalem wieder aufgebaut, eine Stadt von Kirchen und Klöstern, von Gasthäusern und frommen Stiftungen.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  3. (transitive or intransitive) to realize; to notice; to see; to find out
  4. (transitive) to meet (somebody); to meet up; to see; but not in the sense of “pay a visit to”, nor as a euphemism for having a romantic or sexual relation
    Siehst du den Markus noch?
    Do you still see Markus? (Do you meet him regularly? Are you still friends with him?)
  5. (intransitive, often with auf, also nach) to look at; to watch; the construction with nach often implies a turning of the head; other prepositions can be used depending on the context
    Synonyms: gucken, kucken, schauen
    auf/nach etwas sehen ― to look at something
  6. (intransitive, with nach) to check on; to look after; to see to
    Synonyms: gucken, kucken, schauen
  7. (intransitive, informal) to decide spontaneously and/or by personal preference; to wait and see
    Synonyms: gucken, kucken, schauen
    Das werden wir dann sehen.
    We’ll see then. / We’ll play it by ear.
    Soll ich Nudeln oder Pizza nehmen? — Das musst du selber sehen.
    Should I take pasta or pizza? — You’ll have to decide for yourself.

Usage notes

  • Sehen can be used in a so-called "accusative with infinitive" construction (as in English): Ich sah ihn arbeiten. – “I saw him work.” If such a sentence is in the perfect or pluperfect tense, the infinitive usually replaces the past participle: Ich hatte ihn arbeiten sehen. – “I had seen him work.” The use of the past participle instead does occur in some speakers, but is ungrammatical to many others.

Conjugation

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  • There is also sähst besides (du) sähest and (archaic) sahest besides (du) sahst.

Derived terms

Derived terms

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Related terms

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Further reading

  • “sehen” in Duden online
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