regarder
/ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/
To watch in French is regarder.
Regarder is the most standard and widely used verb for 'to watch' in French. While regarder is the general term, you might use contempler if you want to convey a sense of deep admiration or contemplation while watching something. If you want to express the idiomatic meaning of having a keen eye, use avoir l'œil or use garder un œil sur to mean 'to keep an eye on' something.
Which one should you use?
In English, there is often a distinction between 'to look at' and 'to watch', but in French, regarder is used for both. It is also important to distinguish regarder from voir (to see). regarder implies an intentional action of watching or looking, whereas voir implies the passive ability to perceive with the eyes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense conjugation for the first and third person singular is regarde.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use voir when they mean the active intention of watching a program or a person. Use regarder instead when you are talking about intentional viewing.
Did you know?
- French speakers use the phrase Ça ne me regarde pas to say 'that is none of my business', literally meaning 'that does not watch me'.
- The verb regarder is built from the prefix re- and the verb garder, which means 'to keep' or 'to guard'.
- When talking about 'watching' a play or a movie at a cinema, French speakers often use voir despite the intentionality, which contradicts the general rule for regarder.
Examples in context
- Je veux regarder ça.I want to watch this.This sentence shows how to express wanting to watch something using regarder.Tatoeba #2475390 by sacredceltic, translation #2011570 by CK
- Que veux-tu regarder ?What do you want to watch?This sentence demonstrates how to ask what someone wants to watch using regarder.Tatoeba #2799535 by Rockaround, translation #1956136 by CK
- Il va regarder un film.He's going to watch a movie.This sentence shows how to use regarder when describing an intention to watch a movie.Tatoeba #4075959 by Amastan, translation #9037344 by absvfx
- Je regarde la télévision.I watch television.
- Les scientifiques observent les étoiles.The scientists are observing the stars.
- Il contemplait le coucher de soleil sur la plage.He was watching the sunset on the beach.
- On a maté un film chez moi.We watched a movie at my place.
- Je regarde un film.I'm watching a movie.
- Je regarde Marie courir.I'm watching Marie run.
- Je garde un œil sur tes affaires.I'll keep an eye on your belongings.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are in the living room.
- LéaTu veux regarder le match avec moi ?Do you want to watch the match with me?
- GabrielOui, je vais regarder ça avec plaisir.Yes, I would love to watch that.
- LéaOn peut regarder le début ensemble.We can watch the beginning together.
- GabrielD'accord, on peut regarder maintenant.Okay, we can watch now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry regarder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries regarder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
