Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| הִסְתַּכֵּל | histakél | |
| הביט | hibít | |
| ראה | ra'á | /rɔ.ˈʔɔ/ /ʁaˈʔa/ (Modern Israeli) |
The verb is used to describe the physical act of directing one's eyes toward something. The noun מבט refers to the action of a single look or a glance, while the noun מראה refers to the outward physical appearance of a person or thing.
Which one should you use?
הִסְתַּכֵּל is the most common verb for the physical act of looking. הביט is a more literary or formal option that often implies a more focused or poetic gaze, such as gazing or glancing. ראה literally means 'to see', but it is frequently used to mean 'Look!' when drawing attention to something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb הִסְתַּכֵּל to mean 'look at' something, you must use the preposition על (on/at).
How do you pronounce it?
histakél
When do people say it?
In spoken Hebrew, when you want to point something out to someone, the standard way to say 'Look!' is to use the form תראה.
Did you know?
- The word מראה can mean 'appearance', but it is also the standard Hebrew word for a 'mirror'.
- The root of the word ראה is used to form the word ראייה, which means 'vision' or 'sight', but it also forms the word ראיון, meaning 'interview'.
- The Hebrew root for 'to see' is shared with several other Semitic languages, such as the Arabic word رَأَى, making it part of a very old linguistic family.
Examples in context
- ראה, הנה אמא שלי.Look, there's my mom.This example shows how to use ראה to draw attention to something.Tatoeba #2047249 by fekundulo, translation #3174808 by Joseph
- תום לא הביט אחור.Tom did not look back.This example shows the use of הביט in a sentence.Tatoeba #2113780 by fekundulo, translation #1537058 by Spamster
- ראה הערות בעמוד 10.Look at the notes on page 10.This example shows how to use ראה to direct attention to specific notes.Tatoeba #602789 by Eldad, translation #73457 by Eldad
- רְאֵה אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה!Look at this thing!
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “look” translations and entries הביט, ראה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ראה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
