voir
/vwaʁ/
The French verb voir means "to see".
voir is used to describe the act of perceiving something using your eyes. Beyond physical sight, it is also used idiomatically to mean "to understand" or "to realize", much like the English expression "I see".
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish voir from regarder. While voir refers to the involuntary perception of sight, regarder refers to the intentional, directed action of looking at something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of voir is vu. Additionally, the first-person plural imperative form voyons is frequently used as an interjection meaning "let's see" or "come on".
How do you pronounce it?
/vwaʁ/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of voir is the same one that gave English the word 'video'.
- The past participle vu is used as a formal administrative stamp on French documents to prove that an official has 'seen' and verified the information.
- When a French speaker says on va voir, they may be using a polite social strategy to avoid giving a direct 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Examples in context
- Je peux voir la mer de ma fenêtre.I can see the sea from my window.
- Tu veux voir ce nouveau film ?Do you want to see this new movie?
- Elle ne peut pas voir sans ses lunettes.She cannot see without her glasses.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking for something in a room.
- LucasLéa, est-ce que tu peux voir mes clés ?Léa, can you see my keys?
- LéaNon, je ne peux pas les voir.No, I can't see them.
- LucasRegarde sur la table, je crois les voir.Look on the table, I think I see them.
- LéaAh oui, je les vois enfin !Ah yes, I see them finally!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry voir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries voir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
