Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mirar fijamente | /miɾaɾ fixamente/ (from spelling rules) | |
| quedarse mirando | /kedaɾse miɾando/ (from spelling rules) | |
| vichar | /bit͡ʃaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | |
| velar | /beˈlaɾ/ | |
| bichar | /bit͡ʃaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | South America |
The term is used to describe the act of looking fixedly at something or someone. While mirar fijamente describes the physical action of staring, other forms like quedarse mirando can be used to emphasize a state of being transfixed or distracted.
Which one should you use?
Mirar fijamente describes the direct action of staring. In contrast, quedarse mirando emphasizes the state of being caught or remaining in a stare, often implying that the person has been left transfixed or distracted. For a more formal way to say you are observing something closely, you may use observar detenidamente.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In South America, the word bichar is used to mean stare.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use mirar fijamente to refer to a person, you must include the preposition a before the object, as in mirar fijamente a alguien.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb velar is used to describe a specific type of staring or watching. It is used when staying awake to keep watch over someone, such as a patient or a deceased person during a wake.
- The adverb fijamente ends in -mente, a suffix derived from the Latin word for 'mind' (mēns). This effectively turns the act of staring into a 'mental' state of fixation.
- The root of the word fijamente comes from fijo, which means 'fixed'. It shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'fix', though they arrived in English and Spanish through different historical paths.
Examples in context
- Es de mala educación mirar fijamente a alguien.It is rude to stare at someone.This sentence shows that staring at someone is considered bad manners.Tatoeba #3195934 by Shishir, translation #276283 by CK
- La gente no debería mirar fijamente a los extranjeros.People shouldn't stare at foreigners.This sentence is useful for discussing how people should behave toward foreigners.Tatoeba #2707575 by caiser, translation #21849 by CK
- Es descortés mirar fijamente a las personas.It's impolite to stare at people.This sentence demonstrates that staring at people is impolite.Tatoeba #1356883 by El_mas_capo, translation #270148 by CK
- El profesor miraba fijamente a los estudiantesThe teacher was staring at the students
- La científica observaba detenidamente la muestraThe scientist was staring at the sample
- La niña se quedó mirando el paisajeThe girl was staring at the landscape
- El juez miraba fijamente al acusado durante el interrogatorioThe judge stared at the defendant during the interrogation
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are at an art gallery.
- LucíaJavier, ¿por qué miras fijamente ese cuadro?Javier, why are you staring at that painting?
- JavierNo sé, los colores me hipnotizan.I don't know, the colors hypnotize me.
- LucíaParece que vas a entrar en la obra.It looks like you are going to enter the work.
- JavierEs verdad, he dejado de mirar fijamente.That's true, I've stopped staring.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stare” translations and entries velar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fijamente, mirar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
