देखना
dekhnā/d̪eːkʰ.nɑː/
The Hindi verb for look is देखना (dekhnā). It is the standard word for to look or to see. If unsure, use देखना. Wiktionary also lists निगाह करना (nigāh karnā).
Meaning: to try to see (verb)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| देखना | dekhnā | /d̪eːkʰ.nɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| निगाह करना | nigāh karnā |
देखना covers both looking at something on purpose and simply seeing it. It is the dictionary infinitive form of the verb, and it is the word you hear in daily speech.
Which one should you use?
देखना is the standard, most common way to say to look, whereas निगाह करना (nigāh karnā) is much more formal or poetic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes with tense and subject. For a masculine singular subject in the simple present it becomes देखता है. The past tense form is देखा (dekhā). The polite command is Dekhiye.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as dekhnā, IPA /d̪eːkʰ.nɑː/. The d is dental, made with the tongue against the upper teeth and the kh is a k with a puff of air.
Did you know?
- The phrase देख लेना (dekh lenā), which literally means 'to look and take', is frequently used as a veiled threat meaning 'you will see what happens' or 'just wait and see'.
- While देखना is the everyday word for 'to look', the more formal निगाह करना is actually a loan from Persian, rather than being native Sanskrit-based Hindi.
- A single vowel change can completely flip the direction of the action: while देखना means 'to look', changing the vowel to दिखना transforms the meaning to 'to be visible' or 'to appear'.
Examples in context
- मैं वे दस्तावेज़ देखना चाहूँगा।I'd like to take a look at those documents.देखना चाहूँगा is a polite way to say I would like to look at something.Tatoeba #8864277 by aboi, translation #1936338 by CK
- अपने बच्चों को देखा करो।Do look after your children.With देखा करो the verb takes the sense of looking after or keeping an eye on someone.
- क्या तुम वह पेड़ देखना चाहते हो?Kya tum vah ped dekhna chahte ho?Do you want to look at that tree?
Example conversation
Amit and Anjali are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- अमित Amitअंजलि, मेनू कार्ड देखना।Anjali, menu card dekhna.Anjali, look at the menu card.
- अंजलि Anjaliहाँ, मैं देख रही हूँ।Haan, main dekh rahi hoon.Yes, I am looking.
- अमित Amitयहाँ का पास्ता बहुत अच्छा है।Yahan ka pasta bahut achha hai.The pasta here is very good.
- अंजलि Anjaliठीक है, वही मँगवाते हैं।Theek hai, vahi mangvate hain.Okay, let's order that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “look” translations and entries देखना, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
