viendo la tele
/bjendo la tele/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "watching tv" is expressed as viendo la tele.
The phrase describes the act of looking at programs on a television screen for entertainment or information.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the gerund viendo (watching) and the shortened noun phrase la tele (the TV).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Viendo la tele is the most common way to express this in casual, everyday conversation. Using the full word televisión instead of the clipped tele in the phrase viendo la televisión is more formal or complete.
How does it change in a sentence?
While viendo la tele is the continuous form (watching), the infinitive ver la tele is used to express the general habit or the act of "to watch TV".
When do people say it?
When discussing shows or movies, you might use related phrases such as ¿Viste ese programa? to ask "Did you watch that show?" or ¿Qué película viste anoche? to ask "What movie did you watch last night?"
Did you know?
- In some regions, the act of viendo la tele is colloquially linked to zapping, a loanword from English used to describe the act of rapidly switching channels.
- The word tele comes from the Ancient Greek word têle, meaning 'far off'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, ver la tele is often a communal activity where the whole family gathers in one room rather than watching on individual screens.
Examples in context
- ¿Tom está viendo la tele?Is Tom watching TV?This sentence uses viendo la tele to ask if Tom is currently watching TV.Tatoeba #10093144 by manufrutos, translation #10084756 by ddnktr
- No estoy viendo la televisión.I'm not watching TV.This sentence uses viendo la tele to state that one is not currently watching TV.Tatoeba #2002486 by Shishir, translation #6607998 by MaryJ
- Él estaba viendo la tele ayer.He was watching TV yesterday.This sentence uses viendo la tele to describe what someone was doing yesterday.Tatoeba #10093126 by manufrutos, translation #10084787 by ddnktr
- El profesor disfrutó de su tarde mirando la televisión.The professor enjoyed his evening watching TV.
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are in the living room on a rainy afternoon.
- Alejandro¿Qué haces, Lucía?What are you doing, Lucía?
- LucíaSolo estoy viendo la tele.I am just watching TV.
- AlejandroEstá muy entretenida.It looks very entertaining.
- LucíaSí, siéntate conmigo.Yes, sit with me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, tele, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
