Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| privi | /priˈvi/ |
| uita | |
| vedea | /veˈde̯a/ |
The verb is used to describe the action of trying to see something. You can use the verb privi to express the act of looking, or the related nouns privire and vedere to describe the action of looking itself.
Which one should you use?
The verb privi is formal and standard, often implying a more intentional or sustained act of looking, such as gazing or staring. In contrast, the reflexive phrase a se uita is much more common in everyday spoken Romanian for the general action of looking.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun privire is derived from the verb privi and is used to describe a specific glance or the act of looking. The noun vedere also describes the action of looking.
How do you pronounce it?
/priˈvi/
When do people say it?
To draw attention to something quickly in an informal setting, you might use the interjection ia or uite.
Did you know?
- The shift of uita from 'forget' to 'look' may have happened through the phrase 'to forget oneself', meaning to stand still and stare.
- While vedea means 'to see', it shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'wit' or 'wisdom', which originally related to seeing or knowing.
- The verb a se uita uses a reflexive form, meaning the action is grammatically structured as if the person is 'looking themselves'.
Examples in context
- Nu te uita mai departe.Don't look any further.This sentence shows how to use uita in a negative command.Tatoeba #10167407 by CataG, translation #2270477 by CK
- Să mai arunc o privire.Let me have another look.This sentence uses privi to express the idea of having a look.Tatoeba #13675318 by CataG, translation #5351098 by Hybrid
- Îmi voi întoarce privirea.I will look the other way.This sentence uses privi to describe the act of directing one's gaze.Tatoeba #5120579 by fathe, translation #275992 by CK
- Uitați-vă cu atenție la regulile de siguranță prezentate.Look carefully at the safety rules presented.
- Uite acolo! Vezi cât de frumoasă este floarea aceasta?Look over there! See how beautiful this flower is?
- Priviți luna. Este uimitor cât de strălucitoare este în seara aceasta.Look at the moon. It's amazing how bright it is tonight.
- Uită-te, te rog, în această direcție.Look in this direction, please.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrei and Elena are at an art gallery.
- AndreiElena, privește tabloul acesta!Elena, look at this painting!
- ElenaÎl privi deja, e superb.I am already looking at it, it is superb.
- AndreiVrei să privim și restul salei?Do you want to look at the rest of the room too?
- ElenaDa, hai să privim împreună.Yes, let's look together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “look” translations and entries privi, uita, vedea, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries privi, uita, vedea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
