Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نَظَرَ | naẓara | ||
| شاف | šāf | /ʃaː.fa/ | |
| طالع | ṭālaʕ | /tˤaː.la.ʕa/ | Hijazi Arabic |
| اتفَرَّج | atfarraj | Hijazi Arabic | |
| تطلّع | tṭallaʕ | North Levantine Arabic | |
| تفرّج | tfarraj | North Levantine Arabic |
The verb describes the act of trying to see something.
Which one should you use?
While نَظَرَ is the standard way to express looking, the colloquial form شاف literally means 'to see' (to perceive with the eyes) but is frequently used in daily speech to mean 'to look' or 'to watch' in a general sense. In North Levantine Arabic, تفرّج is used specifically when the act of looking involves watching something for a period of time, such as a movie or a street scene. In Hijazi Arabic, طالع can be used as an imperative to mean 'look at' or 'to check/look up' something, like a document.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
نَظَرَ is the standard Modern Standard Arabic form used in formal writing and news. In contrast, شاف is used in daily spoken conversation. The form شوف is an informal way to say 'look' used across various dialects, including Levantine dialects like Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hijazi Arabic, you may use طالع to mean 'look at' or 'check/look up'. The form اتفَرَّج is also used in Hijazi Arabic. In North Levantine Arabic, both تطلّع and تفرّج are used. The form تفرج is an informal expression used in North African countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. In Gulf Arabic dialects, the colloquial form شف is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun نَظْرَة is a verbal noun derived from the verb نَظَرَ and represents a single instance of looking or a glance.
How do you pronounce it?
naẓara
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for 'look' (شوف) is used to mean 'listen' or 'pay attention' when someone is about to tell a story.
- In some dialects, saying شوف while pointing to your eye can be a gesture used to emphasize that you witnessed something personally and are telling the truth.
- The noun نَظْرَة can describe not just a glance, but a 'perspective' or 'point of view' on a political or social issue.
Examples in context
- طالعها في قاموسك.Look it up in your dictionary.This sentence shows how to use طالع to mean 'look up' a reference.Tatoeba #489147 by saeb, translation #264889 by CK
- نَظَرَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى السَّمَاء.naẓara al-rajulu ilā al-samā'.The man looked at the sky.
- نَظَرَ الطِّفْلُ إِلَى الْعَصَافِيرِ.naẓara al-ṭiflu ilā al-'aṣāfīr.The child looked at the birds.
Example conversation
Layla and Yusuf are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- ليلى Laylaنَظَرَ يوسفُ إلى هذه اللوحةِ كثيراً.Nazara Yusufu ila hadhihi al-lawhati kathiran.Yusuf looked at this painting for a long time.
- يوسف Youssefنعم، إنها جميلةٌ جداً.Na'am, innaha jamilatun jiddan.Yes, it is very beautiful.
- ليلى Laylaماذا تلاحظُ فيها؟Madha tulahizu fiha?What do you notice in it?
- يوسف Youssefأحبُّ الألوانَ المستخدمةَ هنا.Uhibbu al-alwana al-mustakhdamata huna.I love the colors used here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “look” translations and entries شاف, طالع, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
