Afrikaans waarneem | ||
Albanian vëzhgoj | ||
Amharic ያስተውሉ | ||
Arabic رصد | ||
Armenian դիտարկել | ||
Assamese অনুভৱ কৰা | ||
Aymara uñjaña | ||
Azerbaijani müşahidə etmək | ||
Bambara ka jateminɛ | ||
Basque behatu | ||
Belarusian назіраць | ||
Bengali পর্যবেক্ষণ | ||
Bhojpuri गौर से देखल | ||
Bosnian posmatraj | ||
Bulgarian наблюдавайте | ||
Catalan observar | ||
Cebuano obserbahan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 观察 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 觀察 | ||
Corsican osserva | ||
Croatian promatrati | ||
Czech pozorovat | ||
Danish observere | ||
Dhivehi އޮބްޒަރވް | ||
Dogri ध्यान कन्नै दिक्खना | ||
Dutch observeren | ||
English observe | ||
Esperanto observi | ||
Estonian jälgima | ||
Ewe le ŋku ɖe eŋu | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) obserbahan | ||
Finnish tarkkailla | ||
French observer | ||
Frisian observearje | ||
Galician observar | ||
Georgian დააკვირდი | ||
German beobachten | ||
Greek παρατηρώ | ||
Guarani jesareko | ||
Gujarati અવલોકન | ||
Haitian Creole obsève | ||
Hausa kiyaye | ||
Hawaiian nānā | ||
Hebrew לצפות | ||
Hindi निरीक्षण | ||
Hmong saib | ||
Hungarian megfigyelni | ||
Icelandic fylgjast með | ||
Igbo debe | ||
Ilocano kitaen a nalaing | ||
Indonesian mengamati | ||
Irish breathnaigh | ||
Italian osservare | ||
Japanese 観察する | ||
Javanese mirsani | ||
Kannada ಗಮನಿಸಿ | ||
Kazakh байқау | ||
Khmer សង្កេត | ||
Kinyarwanda kwitegereza | ||
Konkani निरिक्षण करचें | ||
Korean 관찰하다 | ||
Krio wach | ||
Kurdish şopgirtin | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) تێبینی کردن | ||
Kyrgyz байкоо | ||
Lao ສັງເກດ | ||
Latin observe | ||
Latvian novērot | ||
Lingala kotala | ||
Lithuanian stebėti | ||
Luganda okwetegereza | ||
Luxembourgish beobachten | ||
Macedonian набудувај | ||
Maithili अवलोकन | ||
Malagasy mitandrina | ||
Malay perhatikan | ||
Malayalam നിരീക്ഷിക്കുക | ||
Maltese osserva | ||
Maori mātakitaki | ||
Marathi देखणे | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯌꯦꯡꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
Mizo chik | ||
Mongolian ажиглах | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) စောင့်ကြည့်ပါ | ||
Nepali अवलोकन गर्नुहोस् | ||
Norwegian observere | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) kusunga | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପାଳନ କର | | ||
Oromo qalbeeffachuun ilaaluu | ||
Pashto کتل | ||
Persian رعایت کنید | ||
Polish przestrzegać | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) observar | ||
Punjabi ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ | ||
Quechua qaway | ||
Romanian observa | ||
Russian наблюдать | ||
Samoan matau | ||
Sanskrit अवलोकयति | ||
Scots Gaelic amharc | ||
Sepedi lemoga | ||
Serbian посматрати | ||
Sesotho hlokomela | ||
Shona cherechedza | ||
Sindhi مشاهدو | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නිරීක්ෂණය කරන්න | ||
Slovak pozorovať | ||
Slovenian opazujte | ||
Somali u fiirso | ||
Spanish observar | ||
Sundanese niténan | ||
Swahili angalia | ||
Swedish observera | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) obserbahan | ||
Tajik риоя кардан | ||
Tamil கவனிக்கவும் | ||
Tatar күзәтегез | ||
Telugu గమనించండి | ||
Thai สังเกต | ||
Tigrinya ትዕዝብቲ | ||
Tsonga valanga | ||
Turkish gözlemek | ||
Turkmen syn et | ||
Twi (Akan) hwɛ | ||
Ukrainian спостерігати | ||
Urdu مشاہدہ | ||
Uyghur كۈزەت | ||
Uzbek kuzatmoq | ||
Vietnamese quan sát | ||
Welsh arsylwi | ||
Xhosa qaphela | ||
Yiddish אָבסערווירן | ||
Yoruba kiyesi | ||
Zulu qaphela |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "waarneem" comes from the Dutch word "waarnemen", which also means "to observe" or "to notice". |
| Albanian | The verb "vëzhgoj" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *weǵʰ- meaning "to see" or "to watch". |
| Amharic | In its causative form, "ያስተውሉ" can mean "to make visible" or "to show". |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "رصد" also means "awaiting" or "lying in wait". |
| Basque | Its variants "beha" or "behatzera" mean "sight" and "to see" respectively, and "beha" was previously the most used word for "eye". |
| Belarusian | The Belarusian word "назіраць" is derived from the Latin word "narrare" and the Greek word "ὄψις" and can also mean "to watch" or "to behold". |
| Bengali | The word "পর্যবেক্ষণ" (observe) in Bengali derives from the Sanskrit word "परि+√क्षि" (pari+√kṣi), meaning "to see around or over". |
| Bosnian | The word "posmatraj" originally meant "to follow with one's eyes" in Old Church Slavonic. |
| Bulgarian | Bulgarian word "наблюдавайте" is also used in astronomy to mean "monitor a celestial body." |
| Catalan | In Catalan, "observar" can also mean "to respect" or "to comply with". |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, 'obserbahan' may also refer to a place or institution where observation or study takes place, such as an observatory or laboratory. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | "观察" in Chinese could mean 'surveillance', 'to keep watch over', or 'to monitor'. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 觀察 can also mean to "monitor" or to "examine" carefully. |
| Corsican | The noun "osserva" is also used to refer to the person who observes, and the verb "osservà" can mean "to examine" or "to consider". |
| Croatian | The word "promatrati" is derived from the Greek word "promanteia", meaning "foresight" or "contemplation". |
| Czech | "Pozorovat" comes from the Old Czech word "pozor", which originally meant "attention". |
| Danish | A variant spelling of the same word is 'observére' with an accented e and a grave accent above the r. |
| Dutch | The word 'observeren' in Dutch can also mean 'to obey' or 'to comply with' |
| Esperanto | "Observa" comes from Latin "observare" (watch, guard, attend to) and is related to English "observe". In Esperanto, "observi" can also mean "to respect, obey". |
| Estonian | The word "jälgima" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*jälki-", meaning "trace" or "mark". |
| Finnish | "Tarkkailla" is a derivative of the word "tarkka" (precise), which is thought to originate from the Old Germanic word "tarhwaz" (sharp). |
| French | In French, "observer" can also mean to obey or follow. |
| Frisian | The Frisian word for 'observe', 'observearje', also means 'to look at' and 'to watch'. |
| German | “Beobachten” also means "to guard" or "to watch over" in German, a meaning that is reflected in the word's Old High German root word "wahta", which means "watch". |
| Greek | Derived from the verb Παρατηρέω, παρατηρώ ("keep near somebody"), παρατηρώ, means "be present" or "keep close". |
| Gujarati | The verb 'અવલોકન' can also refer to 'observing a religious practice' in a broader sense. |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "obsève" can also mean "to look at something closely" or "to examine something". |
| Hausa | Kiyaye, meaning 'to observe', is also the name for a large pot in Hausa culture. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, "nānā" can mean "to gaze" or "to seek out," and is also used as a term of endearment for grandparents. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word לצפות (litzephot) can also mean "to look forward to" or "to anticipate". |
| Hindi | The word "निरीक्षण" (observe) is derived from the Sanskrit word "नीर" (water) and "इक्ष" (to see), and also means "to inspect" or "to examine". |
| Hmong | The word "saib" in Hmong can also mean "to watch" or "to look at". |
| Hungarian | Originally meaning "hold off" or "restrain", "megfigyelni" has acquired its present meaning of observation over time. |
| Icelandic | "Fylgjast með" can also mean "follow" or "go with". |
| Igbo | "Debe" in Igbo can also mean "to take note of" or "to mark". |
| Indonesian | Despite its primary meaning of "observe", "mengamati" can also mean "to study diligently", sharing the same root as the word "ilmu" ("knowledge"). |
| Irish | "Breathnaigh" derives from "breathnach", meaning "Welshman", as Welsh immigrants were once known for their learning and were employed by Irish lords to train and educate their children. |
| Italian | "Osservare" can also mean "to respect" or "to follow". |
| Japanese | "観察する" has also been used to mean "perform a Buddhist memorial service for the deceased" since the Heian period. |
| Javanese | The word "mirsani" also means "to examine" or "to inspect". |
| Kannada | In Kannada, "ಗಮನಿಸಿ" also means "to pay attention to" or "to take notice of something." |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "байқау" also means "to pay attention" or "to notice something." |
| Khmer | The word 'សង្កេត' ('observe') in Khmer also has a secondary meaning implying 'guess'. |
| Korean | The term '관찰하다' is derived from the Chinese word '観察' (관찰) and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root *spek-, meaning 'to look'. |
| Kurdish | The word "şopgirtin" can also mean "to look for" or "to inspect" in Kurdish. |
| Kyrgyz | In Kyrgyz the word "байкоо" also refers to "to watch, to spy on". |
| Lao | The Lao word "ສັງເກດ" ("observe") derives from Pali "samketati", which also means "to take note", "perceive", or "to be aware". |
| Latin | Latin "observare" also means to "heed" or "comply with". |
| Latvian | "Novērot" comes from Indo-European *sneud-, meaning "to push, to incite, to instigate" |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "stebėti" is commonly known to mean "to observe", but it originally meant "to stand". |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, 'beobachten' can also mean to 'supervise' or 'monitor'. |
| Macedonian | The word 'набудувај' in Macedonian can also mean 'to pay attention to' or 'to listen to'. |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "mitandrina" also means "to take care of" or "to look after". |
| Malay | In Indonesian, "perhatikan" refers to paying attention, while in Malay, the word means to keep an eye on somebody or something. |
| Malayalam | The Malayalam word 'നിരീക്ഷിക്കുക' is also used to describe paying attention to someone or something, or closely monitoring a situation. |
| Maltese | Maltese 'osserva' comes from Italian 'osservare', 'to observe', from Latin 'observare', 'to keep watch over,' from 'ob', 'at,' + 'servare', 'to preserve,' and it also can mean 'conserve,' 'watch,' or 'save.' |
| Maori | In Maori, the word "mātakitaki" also means to perceive, watch, scrutinize, or investigate. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "देखणे" (dekhaṇe) also means "to appear" or "to be visible." |
| Mongolian | The word "ажиглах" can also mean "to spy" or "to watch over" in Mongolian. |
| Nepali | The word 'अवलोकन गर्नुहोस्' (observe) is derived from the root word 'लोक', which means 'to see'. |
| Norwegian | Observere comes from the Latin word "observare," which means "to watch, to take notice of". |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | "Kusunga" means "to watch over" and "to follow" in Nyanja. |
| Pashto | کتل (observe) in Pashto also means to understand and to know something. |
| Persian | رعایت in Persian does not only mean to observe, but can also mean to respect, take care of, or comply with as it originates from Arabic and the Qur'an. |
| Polish | "Przestrzegać" comes from the Old Polish word "strzegąć", meaning "to guard" or "to protect". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The verb “observar” is of Latin origin, from “observare”, which means “to observe, to pay attention, to obey, to revere”. In Portuguese, this verb retains its original meanings of “to pay attention” and “to obey”. |
| Punjabi | The word 'nigranee' is also used in Hindi and Urdu, where it means 'supervision' or 'inspection'. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, observa also means "to respect". |
| Russian | The root "блюд" in the word "наблюдать" is of Baltic origin and can also be found in the words "блюдо" and "блюсти". |
| Samoan | In Samoan, the word "matau" can also mean "look" or "watch." |
| Scots Gaelic | The word amharc can mean 'gaze' or 'watch' as well as 'observe'. |
| Serbian | The word "посматрати" ("observe") in Serbian is derived from the Slavic root "*sъmъtrъ", meaning "to look at intently", and also shares a root with the words "посматрач" ("observer") and "посматрање" ("observation"). |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, "hlokomela" also means "notice" and "take care of". |
| Shona | The word "cherechedza" is derived from the root word "cherekera," meaning "to look for," and implies a sense of careful attention and scrutiny. |
| Sindhi | The word "مشاهدو" (observe) in Sindhi is derived from the Arabic root word "شاهد" (witness). It also carries the connotation of "watching over" or "supervising" something. |
| Slovak | Pozorovať is derived from the Old Slavic word "zorŭ", meaning "to see" or "to look at". |
| Slovenian | The word 'opazujte' comes from the Latin 'observāre', meaning 'to watch over' or 'to obey'. |
| Somali | The word "u fiirso" (observe) is derived from the verb "fiir" (to look), which also means "to consider" or "to think about". |
| Spanish | The word "observar" in Spanish can also mean "to comply with" or "to respect." |
| Sundanese | Sundanese "niténan" also means to follow or to attend |
| Swahili | The word "angalia" also means "look" and "examine" in Swahili. |
| Swedish | "Observera" also means "note, notice or remark", while "notera" means "note down", and "beakta" means "heed". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "obserbahan" comes from the Spanish word "observar," which means "to observe." |
| Tajik | The word "риоя кардан" in Tajik can also mean "to watch" or "to monitor". |
| Thai | "สังเกต" in Thai can also mean "notice" or "consider". |
| Turkish | Gözlemek, also meaning 'to wait' in Turkish, originates from the Persian word 'guzadan'. |
| Ukrainian | The verb “спостерігати” can also mean “to lie in wait”, coming from the Proto-Slavic word *sterg- meaning “to guard, to protect”. |
| Urdu | The word "مشاہدہ" originates from the Arabic word "مشاهدة" meaning "act of seeing". |
| Uzbek | The word "kuzatmoq" is derived from the Persian word "kuzad", meaning "look" or "watch." |
| Vietnamese | Quan sát is derived from the Chinese word 觀察, which can also mean "inspect" or "supervise". |
| Welsh | "Arsylwi" also means "to watch" and "to look" in Welsh. |
| Xhosa | "Qaphela" in Xhosa, meaning "observe," can also mean "gaze at" or "watch intently." |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "אָבסערווירן" (observe) is derived from the German word "observieren" (to observe) and the Latin word "observare" (to keep watch). |
| Yoruba | The word "kiyesi" can also mean "take care" or "be careful". |
| Zulu | "Qaphela" may also refer to the Zulu custom of a woman visiting the home of her prospective in-laws, bringing with her gifts to demonstrate her skills as a homemaker. |
| English | Derived from Latin 'ob' (towards) and 'servare' (to keep), 'observe' can mean not only 'to watch attentively' but also 'to follow' (laws, etc.) or 'to adhere to' (customs, etc.). |