ver la televisión
/beɾ la telebisjon/from spelling rules
To watch television in Spanish is ver la televisión.
The phrase is used to describe the act of looking at and listening to programs broadcast on a television set.
Which one should you use?
While ver la televisión is the standard phrase, the shortened form ver la tele is more frequently used in casual conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial and shortened form ver la tele is used in Spain and some Latin American countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this context, the verb ver is used to mean 'to watch' or 'to see', which is the standard way in Spanish to express viewing media.
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb ver is a distant relative of the English words 'wit' and 'wise'. All these words share a root meaning 'to see' or 'to know'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, talking about la tele can refer to the physical device or the broadcast content, often blurring the line between the object and the medium.
Examples in context
- No quiero ver la televisión.I don't want to watch television.This sentence shows how to express a lack of desire to use the form ver la televisión.Tatoeba #4624400 by DarkHollow, translation #4620706 by CK
- No quiero ver la televisión esta noche.I don't want to watch television this evening.This sentence uses the form ver la televisión to specify a time for the activity.Tatoeba #1707603 by teskmon, translation #1578573 by CM
- María disfruta ver televisión todas las noches.María enjoys watching television every night.
- Vamos a mirar televisión en casa de Marco.We're going to watch television at Marco's house.
- Después de cenar, nos sentamos en el sofá a ver la tele en familia.After dinner, we sit on the couch to watch TV as a family.
- Los domingos por la tarde nos ponemos la tele y descansamos.On Sunday afternoons, we watch TV and relax.
- Mis abuelos pasan horas mirando el televisor los fines de semana.My grandparents spend hours watching the television on weekends.
- Me gusta ver la televisión por la tarde.I like to watch television in the afternoon.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing their plans for the evening.
- Daniel¿Quieres ver la televisión ahora?Do you want to watch television now?
- MaríaNo, prefiero leer un libro.No, I prefer to read a book.
- DanielEstá bien, yo voy a ver la televisión solo.That is fine, I am going to watch television alone.
- MaríaVale, que te diviertas, Daniel.Okay, have fun, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, televisión, ver, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
