Transcript

If you don't want to see, you have to hide your eyes.

I could stare at the Eiffel Tower for hours, it's so beautiful. I'm seeing someone right now. You mean you have a lover.

Hello everyone! Welcome to another French video. I hope you're all motivated. I hope you're all doing well. Today we're going to talk about the difference between regarder and voir.

I know that these two verbs can be a little confusing, and that there are many people who are learning French, or even who have been speaking French for several years, who will confuse these two verbs. It's a bit like hearing and listening. I don't know if you remember, but a few weeks ago, I made a video on this theme. Well, it's exactly the same as looking and seeing.

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In both cases, images will come to our eyes, but there's a difference in action. One of these two verbs is actually passive, while the other is rather active.

We'll look at this together. And of course, as usual, I'll give you some examples so that you can understand better and stop making this mistake if it's one you make regularly.

If you're new to this channel, I'm Élisabeth. Every week, I post videos to help you progress in French. So don't forget to subscribe if you don't want to miss any of my videos.

Let's start with the verb "to see". When you see something, an image comes to you. You're not going through the motions; it's really the image that comes to you on its own. If you don't want to see, you have to hide your eyes. Because even if you don't want to see the image, it's going to come into your eyes no matter what.

So you're passive. For example, I can say "I saw my neighbor fall down the stairs". Obviously, it wasn't a choice to see this action. I can see the Eiffel Tower from my window. It's like this. Through your window, there's an image of the Eiffel Tower.

On the other hand, when we look, we are active, we choose to see, we want to see. So, to look, we make an effort. I heard a noise outside. I'm going to look out the window to see what's going on. I love watching my son play soccer. I could stare at the Eiffel Tower for hours, it's so beautiful.

I'll give you some examples with the two verbs used so that you understand the difference in nuance. Look, Cynthia and Julien are kissing. I can see, it's right in front of my eyes. I don't need to make an effort to look. I can see the Eiffel Tower from my window and I never tire of looking at it.

In some cases, it's a little more complex. Depending on the context, i.e. what we really mean, we'll use one or the other. This is particularly the case with films, series and TV shows, where we sometimes use "regarder" and sometimes "voir".

Let me explain. Most of the time, we're going to use the verb "to watch" with video content. For example, I watched "The Voice" on television on Saturday night. Or I'm watching when Harry meets Sally tonight. On the other hand, if you want to talk about the experience of having watched a film, a series or a program, and you want to mean that the experience is actually acquired for you, then you'll use the verb to see.

I'll give you some examples and that'll make it easier. Do you know the series "Ten Percent"? Yes, I've seen it. So you understand here, you mean it's validated, it's an experience you've accomplished.

Did you see Almodovar's latest film? Yes, I went to see it in the cinema. So you're not talking so much about the action as such of having watched the film, but as I tell you about the experience. Now let's go a step further, with the verb "to see", which you can use as a synonym for other verbs.

Firstly, you can use "see" as a synonym for distinguish or notice.

See that red house over there? Here, we use see because it's a synonym for distinguish. Did you see the lightning in the sky? There's a big storm. So again, it's synonymous with distinguish. Do you see anything new in my living room? Again, it's more like do you notice, do you distinguish something new?

But seeing is also used in everyday life. We use this expression a lot to mean that we're meeting someone. For example, I might say I'm seeing my sister tonight. It means you have a date with her. Tonight, I'm going to see my grandmother in hospital.

But also, when you say "I'm seeing someone right now", so I'm seeing someone right now, you mean you have a lover, for example. You're not necessarily in love. It means that you go out with this guy or that girl, or that you see each other often, that you have a special relationship with this person.

Let's go a step further with the verb "to look", which can also be used as a synonym for other verbs.

"Looking" can mean searching in certain contexts. Do you have any sugar? I'll look in the drawer. It means I'll look. I'm not sure I've got any, so I'll have a look.

Could you give me Diego's phone number? I'll look it up in my phone and send it to you. So I'll look in my phone and send it to you.

That's it for today. I hope you enjoyed this video and understood the distinction between looking and seeing.

See you soon. And of course, don't forget, please put a "like" on the video, you know it helps me a lot.

See you soon.