دیکھنا
dekhnā/d̪eːkʰ.nɑː/
To look in Urdu is دیکھنا (dekhnā).
The verb is used to express the act of trying to see something.
Meaning: to try to see (verb)
Which one should you use?
While دیکھنا is the infinitive form, several variations exist depending on the intent. Dekho is a direct command to look, whereas Nazar daalo is used when asking someone to cast a quick look at something. For a more thorough action, Tafteesh karein is used to mean examine, investigate or look into something. To tell someone to pay attention or take notice, you can use the phrase Dhyan do.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes based on the subject's gender and the nature of the sentence. The informal imperative command is دیکھو (dekho).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is dekhnā and the IPA is /d̪eːkʰ.nɑː/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- When someone says دیکھ لیں (dekh lein), they might not be asking you to look at something, but are instead issuing a subtle warning or threat meaning 'just you wait and see'.
- The phrase نظر ڈالنا (nazar daalno) is used for a quick look, but it literally translates to 'to cast a glance' or 'to throw an eye' upon something.
- The root of the verb is so ancient that it traces back through Prakrit to Proto-Indo-European origins, linking it to many other languages across Eurasia.
Examples in context
- وہ دور تک دیکھنا چاہتا ہے۔woh door tak dekhna chahta hai.He wants to look far away.
- کیا آپ کھڑکی سے دیکھنا چاہتے ہیں؟kya aap khidki se dekhna chahte hain?Do you want to look through the window?
Example conversation
Umar and Aisha are standing on a balcony at night.
- عمر Omarعائشہ، کیا تم ستارے دیکھنا چاہتی ہو؟Aisha, kya tum sitare dekhna chahti ho?Aisha, do you want to look at the stars?
- عائشہ Ayeshaہاں، میں ستارے دیکھنا چاہتی ہوں۔haan, mein sitare dekhna chahti hoon.Yes, I want to look at the stars.
- عمر Omarوہ دیکھو، کتنا خوبصورت منظر ہے۔woh dekho, kitna khubsurat manzar hai.Look, what a beautiful view it is.
- عائشہ Ayeshaواقعی، یہ بہت پیارا ہے۔waqai, yeh bohat pyara hai.Really, it is very lovely.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “look” translations and entries دیکھنا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries دیکھنا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
