Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ви́деть | vídetʹ | imperfective |
| уви́деть | uvídetʹ | perfective |
The verb refers to the act of perceiving something with the eyes.
Which one should you use?
Russian uses two different forms depending on whether you are describing an ongoing ability or a specific event. Use the imperfective ви́деть to describe the ongoing ability to see or the process of seeing. Use the perfective уви́деть to describe the specific moment of seeing something or the result of having seen it.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
For the imperfective verb, the third person singular present is ви́дит and the masculine past tense is ви́дел, while the feminine past tense is ви́дела. For the perfective verb, the masculine past tense is уви́дел.
How do you pronounce it?
vídetʹ
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the imperfective ви́деть when they mean the completed action of seeing something once. In these cases, the perfective уви́деть is more natural.
When do people say it?
While not a direct translation of 'to see', Russian speakers use different phrases to say goodbye. To say 'see you' or 'see you later' in an informal way, you can use Увидимся or the casual Пока. For formal situations or when speaking to someone you are not close to, use До свидания (Goodbye).
Did you know?
- In Russian, if you want to say you 'see' something in a dream, you would not use ви́деть, but rather the verb сни́ться, which literally means 'to be seen in a dream'.
- The formal way to say goodbye, До свида́ния, literally translates to 'Until the seeing' or 'Until the meeting'.
- Russian speakers use the phrase Не ви́дишь? as a rhetorical way to say 'Isn't it obvious?', even if the thing being discussed is not a physical object.
Examples in context
- Я надеюсь, что я смогу увидеть вас на встрече.I hope I will be able to see you at the meeting.
- Я буду рад видеть вас на нашей свадьбе.I will be glad to see you at our wedding.
- Ну, пока! Увидимся завтра в школе.Well, see you! See you tomorrow at school.
- Спасибо за приятное общение! До свидания!Thank you for the pleasant conversation! Goodbye!
- Увидимся в кино вечером.See you at the movies tonight.
- Я хочу ви́деть море.Ya khochu videt' more.I want to see the sea.
Example conversation
Maria and Sergey are looking for a house.
- Мария MariaСергей, ты ви́дишь этот дом?Sergey, ty vidish' etot dom?Sergey, do you see this house?
- Сергей SergeyНет, какой именно дом?Net, kakoy imenno dom?No, which house exactly?
- Мария MariaТот, который ви́деть с окна.Tot, kotoryy videt' s okna.The one you can see from the window.
- Сергей SergeyА, да, теперь я его ви́жу!A, da, teper' ya yego vizhu!Ah, yes, now I see it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “see” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
