Dutch Verb Kijken ('to look') - Smartphones Page

kijken to look

-

keek looked

-

gekeken looked

kijken		to look
ik kijk		I am looking
wij kijken		we are lookingy
ik keek		I looked
wij keken		we looked
ik heb gekeken		I have looked

Zien and Kijken
English and Dutch have 'to see' - zien ‑>> meaning something like 'observing with, using the eye' - usually with an object (the thing seen) or its 'placeholder' het 2 3 / 'it.'
Next to 'to see' 'zien'  English and Dutch have 'to look' - kijken - meaning something like 'having the eyes pointed in a direction' - often combined with naar 'at' and the object observed or its placeholder. 'To watch' is sometimes a better translation of kijken.
It's not a problem for English-speakers, but not all languages follow the system of these two verbs with close equivalents.
In a similar way, there are two verbs for the ear: 'to hear' 'horen' 2 ‑>> and 'to listen' 'luisteren' - ‑>>

Ik zag de vogels 2 3 I saw the birds Ik keek naar de vogels 2 3 I was looking at the birds Ik hoorde de vogels 2 3 I heard the birds Ik luisterde naar de vogels 2 3 I was listening to the birds

Sample Sentences

Ik kijk wat rond 2 3 I'm just looking around, "just browsing" (in a store)

Als je goed kijkt ... 2 When you look [well] sharp ...

Waar je ook kijkt, overal water Wherever you look, water everywhere

Ik bleef staan kijken I stayed [standing around] to watch Ik bleef erbij staan kijken 2 3 I stayed [standing around] to watch (it)

Hij was te klein om over de schutting te kijken 2 He was too small to look over the fence (he was not tall enough to look over ...)

Kijk vooruit, niet achteruit Look forward, not backward

Kijk even achterom voordat je afslaat 2 Look backward for a moment before you make a turn (traffic)

Kijk mij eens! 2 Look at me! (showing something special)

kijken naar 2 3 to look at

Ze keken naar de wolken They were looking at the clouds

Ik keek naar de vogels 2 3 I was looking at the birds We kijken naar de vogels 2 3 We're looking at the birds vogeltjes kijken 2 3 [little birds] bird watching (jocular or pejorative)

Ik kijk er naar 2 3 4 I'm looking at it ‑>> Ik stond erbij en ik keek ernaar 2 3 'I was standing nearby and looking [at it] on' Kijk er eens goed naar 2 3 Look at it [well] sharply, inspect it closely Ik hoop er gauw naar te kunnen kijken 2 3 I hope to [be able to] look at it soon, I hope I can look at it soon

Je mag er alleen maar naar kijken 2 3 [You're only allowed to look at it] - You can only look at it (don't touch!)

aankijken 2 3 4 1. looking a person in the eye
2. Een oude man kijkt me aan in de spiegel 2 3 4 5 In the mirror, an old man looks me in the eye Ik kijk 't even aan 2 3 I'll wait and see, I'll keep track of how the situation develops, I'm not taking action right away

Ze kijken op ons neer They look down on us neerkijken op 2 to look down on, to view with contempt, disdain, despise uit de hoogte 2 3 4 5 [from a height] - arrogantly, feeling superior, 'haughty' hooghartig 2 arrogant, 'haughty'
Ze voelen zich verheven 2 They feel they are raised, have ascended, they feel superior Weg met betweters! 2 3 4 Throw out the know-it-alls! (de) minachting 2 3 contempt, disdain
(het) respect respect

klok kijken 2 [looking at the clock] telling time >>

TV kijken 2 watching television kijkers 2 (TV) viewers, the television audience

koffiedik kijken 2 3 [looking at coffee dregs, wet coffee grounds] - 'reading tea leaves' - to foretell, predicting the future

Uitkijken watch out, look out, look out for Kijk uit! 2 3 4 Look out! Watch out! (be careful) Kijkuit 2 Lookout ('place with a nice view' - a mansion in Upstate New York) Je moet beter uitkijken 2 You should pay more attention

Ik ben erop uitgekeken 2 3 [I'm done looking at it] - I'm no longer interested in it, I don't care for it anymore

Uitkijken voor 2 beware of, watch out for, look out for Kijk uit voor namaak! 2 3 Watch out for fakes, beware of imitations

uitkijken naar 2 looking forward to Ik kijk uit naar de Kerstdagen I'm looking forward to the Christmas Holiday Ik kijk uit naar de feestdagen I'm looking forward to the holidays Iets om naar uit te kijken 2 Something to look forward to

Kijk om je heen! 2 Look around you!

nakijken 2 3 1. teacher checking and grading homework or tests 2. to look up, check Ik kijk 't na 2 3 1. I'm grading it (students' homework) 2. I'm looking it up, checking it

There's also a saying:
Wij hebben 't nakijken 2 3 [All we had was looking at it disappearing] - we are the losers

Sayings, Standard Phrases

Hij keek z'n ogen uit 2 3 He really enjoyed seeing something unexpected

Ik sta nergens meer van te kijken 2 [I'm surprised by nothing anymore'] - 'Nothing surprises me anymore' opkijken van 2 [to look up for] to be surprised, impressed by Daar kijkt niemand meer van op 2 3 Nobody is surprised, impressed by that anymore

De kat uit de boom kijken 2 ['looking the cat out of the tree'] - like a dog not climbing a tree after a cat, 'waiting to see how things develop, taking no action'

Kijk eens aan! 2 3 4 Look at that now! Well, well, well! Something unexpected happened or came up

'To look like' - commenting on an appearance, noting a similarity or giving an impression is said in various ways in Dutch. See and hear the Zien page.

Related Words

(het) oog	eye
ogen	eyes

(de) verrekijker ['far-looker']

The noun 'look' is (de) blik - a look by a person, a glance, a gaze
- but (het) blik is 'tin, can, tin can'
- usually in the diminutive (het) blikje 2

blikjes

blikopeners singular: (de) blikopener

een blikje cola a can of coke een blikje bonen 2 3 a (small) can of beans (de) blikvergiftiging 2 3 ['tin can poisoning'] - when you leave food in an opened can metals dissolve into the food

(het) ogenblik 2 ['blink of an eye'] moment (het) ogenblikje 2 a short moment "een ogenblikje" "just a moment" "een ogenblikje alstublieft" "just a moment please"

also: (het) moment moment
"momentje" 2 "just a moment"
"een momentje alstublieft" "just a moment please"

blik op oneindig 2 3 ['eye focus set to infinity'] ~the thousand-mile stare

Een blik in de toekomst 2 A look into the future, a view of the future

Als blikken konden doden ... 2 If looks could kill ...

Zonder blikken of blozen 2 ['without batting an eyelid or any blushing'] - shamelessly doing something questionable