guardare
/ɡwarˈda.re/
To look in Italian is guardare.
The most common and versatile word for "to look" in Italian is guardare. While it means "to look", it is also used to mean "to watch", such as when watching TV.
Which one should you use?
guardare implies an intentional action of looking or watching, whereas vedere refers to the passive ability to see or the act of perceiving with the eyes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative of guardare is guardo (I look / I am looking), and the gerund form is guardando (looking).
How do you pronounce it?
guardare is pronounced /ɡwarˈda.re/. The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The expression guardarsi le spalle means 'to look at one's back', but idiomatically, it means to be wary or to watch one's step around others.
- The Italian word guardare shares a root with the English word 'warden'. Both originate from the concept of protecting or keeping watch over something.
- The expression guarda! is often used as an interjection to express disbelief or annoyance, similar to saying 'Look at this!' or 'Give me a break!' in English.
Examples in context
- Io so dove guardare.I know where to look.This sentence shows how to use guardare to say where to look.Tatoeba #2580226 by Guybrush88, translation #2376455 by CK
- Non so dove guardare.I don't know where to look.This sentence shows the negative form of using guardare to say where to look.Tatoeba #6683124 by Guybrush88, translation #6266553 by CK
- Tom non vuole guardare.Tom doesn't want to look.This sentence shows how to use guardare to express someone not wanting to look.Tatoeba #2702432 by Guybrush88, translation #2012183 by CK
- Osservi con attenzioneObserve carefully
- È importante osservare ogni dettaglioIt is important to observe every detail
- Guarda!Look!
- Guarda quella macchina, è bellissima!Look at that car, it's beautiful!
- Ho sbirciato nel suo diarioI peeked into his/her diary
- Vado a sbirciare dal buco della serraturaI'm going to peek through the keyhole
- Guarda questo!Look at this!
- 65 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are at an art gallery.
- AlessandroVieni a guardare questo quadro.Come look at this painting.
- SofiaÈ bellissimo, lo voglio guardare meglio.It is beautiful, I want to look at it better.
- AlessandroDobbiamo guardare anche le altre opere.We should look at the other works too.
- SofiaSì, andiamo a guardare laggiù.Yes, let's go look over there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry guardare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guardare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
