Observe in Different Languages
Discover 'Observe' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'observe' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, encouraging us to take a closer look at the world around us. It signifies more than just seeing; it involves understanding and learning from our surroundings. This cultural importance is reflected in various languages and traditions worldwide.
For instance, in Spanish, 'observe' is 'observar,' while in French, it's 'observer.' These translations not only help us communicate effectively across cultures but also allow us to appreciate the beauty and diversity of different languages.
Moreover, understanding the nuances of 'observe' in various languages can enrich our cultural experiences. For example, in some Indigenous American cultures, observing nature's signs was crucial for survival, leading to a deep respect for the natural world.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, delving into the translations of 'observe' can be a fascinating journey. Let's explore how this simple word is expressed in different languages around the globe.
Observe
Observe in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | waarneem | ||
| The word "waarneem" comes from the Dutch word "waarnemen", which also means "to observe" or "to notice". | |||
| Amharic | ያስተውሉ | ||
| In its causative form, "ያስተውሉ" can mean "to make visible" or "to show". | |||
| Hausa | kiyaye | ||
| Kiyaye, meaning 'to observe', is also the name for a large pot in Hausa culture. | |||
| Igbo | debe | ||
| "Debe" in Igbo can also mean "to take note of" or "to mark". | |||
| Malagasy | mitandrina | ||
| The Malagasy word "mitandrina" also means "to take care of" or "to look after". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kusunga | ||
| "Kusunga" means "to watch over" and "to follow" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | cherechedza | ||
| The word "cherechedza" is derived from the root word "cherekera," meaning "to look for," and implies a sense of careful attention and scrutiny. | |||
| Somali | u fiirso | ||
| The word "u fiirso" (observe) is derived from the verb "fiir" (to look), which also means "to consider" or "to think about". | |||
| Sesotho | hlokomela | ||
| In Sesotho, "hlokomela" also means "notice" and "take care of". | |||
| Swahili | angalia | ||
| The word "angalia" also means "look" and "examine" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | qaphela | ||
| "Qaphela" in Xhosa, meaning "observe," can also mean "gaze at" or "watch intently." | |||
| Yoruba | kiyesi | ||
| The word "kiyesi" can also mean "take care" or "be careful". | |||
| Zulu | qaphela | ||
| "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. | |||
| Bambara | ka jateminɛ | ||
| Ewe | le ŋku ɖe eŋu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwitegereza | ||
| Lingala | kotala | ||
| Luganda | okwetegereza | ||
| Sepedi | lemoga | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hwɛ | ||
Observe in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | رصد | ||
| The Arabic word "رصد" also means "awaiting" or "lying in wait". | |||
| Hebrew | לצפות | ||
| The Hebrew word לצפות (litzephot) can also mean "to look forward to" or "to anticipate". | |||
| Pashto | کتل | ||
| کتل (observe) in Pashto also means to understand and to know something. | |||
| Arabic | رصد | ||
| The Arabic word "رصد" also means "awaiting" or "lying in wait". | |||
Observe in Western European Languages
| Albanian | vëzhgoj | ||
| The verb "vëzhgoj" originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *weǵʰ- meaning "to see" or "to watch". | |||
| Basque | behatu | ||
| Its variants "beha" or "behatzera" mean "sight" and "to see" respectively, and "beha" was previously the most used word for "eye". | |||
| Catalan | observar | ||
| In Catalan, "observar" can also mean "to respect" or "to comply with". | |||
| Croatian | promatrati | ||
| The word "promatrati" is derived from the Greek word "promanteia", meaning "foresight" or "contemplation". | |||
| Danish | observere | ||
| A variant spelling of the same word is 'observére' with an accented e and a grave accent above the r. | |||
| Dutch | observeren | ||
| The word 'observeren' in Dutch can also mean 'to obey' or 'to comply with' | |||
| English | observe | ||
| 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.). | |||
| French | observer | ||
| In French, "observer" can also mean to obey or follow. | |||
| Frisian | observearje | ||
| The Frisian word for 'observe', 'observearje', also means 'to look at' and 'to watch'. | |||
| Galician | observar | ||
| German | beobachten | ||
| “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". | |||
| Icelandic | fylgjast með | ||
| "Fylgjast með" can also mean "follow" or "go with". | |||
| Irish | breathnaigh | ||
| "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 | ||
| "Osservare" can also mean "to respect" or "to follow". | |||
| Luxembourgish | beobachten | ||
| In Luxembourgish, 'beobachten' can also mean to 'supervise' or 'monitor'. | |||
| Maltese | osserva | ||
| 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.' | |||
| Norwegian | observere | ||
| Observere comes from the Latin word "observare," which means "to watch, to take notice of". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | observar | ||
| 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”. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | amharc | ||
| The word amharc can mean 'gaze' or 'watch' as well as 'observe'. | |||
| Spanish | observar | ||
| The word "observar" in Spanish can also mean "to comply with" or "to respect." | |||
| Swedish | observera | ||
| "Observera" also means "note, notice or remark", while "notera" means "note down", and "beakta" means "heed". | |||
| Welsh | arsylwi | ||
| "Arsylwi" also means "to watch" and "to look" in Welsh. | |||
Observe in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | назіраць | ||
| 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". | |||
| Bosnian | posmatraj | ||
| The word "posmatraj" originally meant "to follow with one's eyes" in Old Church Slavonic. | |||
| Bulgarian | наблюдавайте | ||
| Bulgarian word "наблюдавайте" is also used in astronomy to mean "monitor a celestial body." | |||
| Czech | pozorovat | ||
| "Pozorovat" comes from the Old Czech word "pozor", which originally meant "attention". | |||
| Estonian | jälgima | ||
| The word "jälgima" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word "*jälki-", meaning "trace" or "mark". | |||
| Finnish | tarkkailla | ||
| "Tarkkailla" is a derivative of the word "tarkka" (precise), which is thought to originate from the Old Germanic word "tarhwaz" (sharp). | |||
| Hungarian | megfigyelni | ||
| Originally meaning "hold off" or "restrain", "megfigyelni" has acquired its present meaning of observation over time. | |||
| Latvian | novērot | ||
| "Novērot" comes from Indo-European *sneud-, meaning "to push, to incite, to instigate" | |||
| Lithuanian | stebėti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "stebėti" is commonly known to mean "to observe", but it originally meant "to stand". | |||
| Macedonian | набудувај | ||
| The word 'набудувај' in Macedonian can also mean 'to pay attention to' or 'to listen to'. | |||
| Polish | przestrzegać | ||
| "Przestrzegać" comes from the Old Polish word "strzegąć", meaning "to guard" or "to protect". | |||
| Romanian | observa | ||
| In Romanian, observa also means "to respect". | |||
| Russian | наблюдать | ||
| The root "блюд" in the word "наблюдать" is of Baltic origin and can also be found in the words "блюдо" and "блюсти". | |||
| Serbian | посматрати | ||
| 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"). | |||
| Slovak | pozorovať | ||
| Pozorovať is derived from the Old Slavic word "zorŭ", meaning "to see" or "to look at". | |||
| Slovenian | opazujte | ||
| The word 'opazujte' comes from the Latin 'observāre', meaning 'to watch over' or 'to obey'. | |||
| Ukrainian | спостерігати | ||
| The verb “спостерігати” can also mean “to lie in wait”, coming from the Proto-Slavic word *sterg- meaning “to guard, to protect”. | |||
Observe in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পর্যবেক্ষণ | ||
| The word "পর্যবেক্ষণ" (observe) in Bengali derives from the Sanskrit word "परि+√क्षि" (pari+√kṣi), meaning "to see around or over". | |||
| Gujarati | અવલોકન | ||
| The verb 'અવલોકન' can also refer to 'observing a religious practice' in a broader sense. | |||
| Hindi | निरीक्षण | ||
| The word "निरीक्षण" (observe) is derived from the Sanskrit word "नीर" (water) and "इक्ष" (to see), and also means "to inspect" or "to examine". | |||
| Kannada | ಗಮನಿಸಿ | ||
| In Kannada, "ಗಮನಿಸಿ" also means "to pay attention to" or "to take notice of something." | |||
| Malayalam | നിരീക്ഷിക്കുക | ||
| The Malayalam word 'നിരീക്ഷിക്കുക' is also used to describe paying attention to someone or something, or closely monitoring a situation. | |||
| Marathi | देखणे | ||
| The Marathi word "देखणे" (dekhaṇe) also means "to appear" or "to be visible." | |||
| Nepali | अवलोकन गर्नुहोस् | ||
| The word 'अवलोकन गर्नुहोस्' (observe) is derived from the root word 'लोक', which means 'to see'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ | ||
| The word 'nigranee' is also used in Hindi and Urdu, where it means 'supervision' or 'inspection'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නිරීක්ෂණය කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | கவனிக்கவும் | ||
| Telugu | గమనించండి | ||
| Urdu | مشاہدہ | ||
| The word "مشاہدہ" originates from the Arabic word "مشاهدة" meaning "act of seeing". | |||
Observe in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 观察 | ||
| "观察" in Chinese could mean 'surveillance', 'to keep watch over', or 'to monitor'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 觀察 | ||
| 觀察 can also mean to "monitor" or to "examine" carefully. | |||
| Japanese | 観察する | ||
| "観察する" has also been used to mean "perform a Buddhist memorial service for the deceased" since the Heian period. | |||
| Korean | 관찰하다 | ||
| The term '관찰하다' is derived from the Chinese word '観察' (관찰) and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root *spek-, meaning 'to look'. | |||
| Mongolian | ажиглах | ||
| The word "ажиглах" can also mean "to spy" or "to watch over" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | စောင့်ကြည့်ပါ | ||
Observe in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | mengamati | ||
| Despite its primary meaning of "observe", "mengamati" can also mean "to study diligently", sharing the same root as the word "ilmu" ("knowledge"). | |||
| Javanese | mirsani | ||
| The word "mirsani" also means "to examine" or "to inspect". | |||
| Khmer | សង្កេត | ||
| The word 'សង្កេត' ('observe') in Khmer also has a secondary meaning implying 'guess'. | |||
| Lao | ສັງເກດ | ||
| The Lao word "ສັງເກດ" ("observe") derives from Pali "samketati", which also means "to take note", "perceive", or "to be aware". | |||
| Malay | perhatikan | ||
| In Indonesian, "perhatikan" refers to paying attention, while in Malay, the word means to keep an eye on somebody or something. | |||
| Thai | สังเกต | ||
| "สังเกต" in Thai can also mean "notice" or "consider". | |||
| Vietnamese | quan sát | ||
| Quan sát is derived from the Chinese word 觀察, which can also mean "inspect" or "supervise". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | obserbahan | ||
Observe in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müşahidə etmək | ||
| Kazakh | байқау | ||
| The Kazakh word "байқау" also means "to pay attention" or "to notice something." | |||
| Kyrgyz | байкоо | ||
| In Kyrgyz the word "байкоо" also refers to "to watch, to spy on". | |||
| Tajik | риоя кардан | ||
| The word "риоя кардан" in Tajik can also mean "to watch" or "to monitor". | |||
| Turkmen | syn et | ||
| Uzbek | kuzatmoq | ||
| The word "kuzatmoq" is derived from the Persian word "kuzad", meaning "look" or "watch." | |||
| Uyghur | كۈزەت | ||
Observe in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | nānā | ||
| In Hawaiian, "nānā" can mean "to gaze" or "to seek out," and is also used as a term of endearment for grandparents. | |||
| Maori | mātakitaki | ||
| In Maori, the word "mātakitaki" also means to perceive, watch, scrutinize, or investigate. | |||
| Samoan | matau | ||
| In Samoan, the word "matau" can also mean "look" or "watch." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | obserbahan | ||
| The Tagalog word "obserbahan" comes from the Spanish word "observar," which means "to observe." | |||
Observe in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñjaña | ||
| Guarani | jesareko | ||
Observe in International Languages
| Esperanto | observi | ||
| "Observa" comes from Latin "observare" (watch, guard, attend to) and is related to English "observe". In Esperanto, "observi" can also mean "to respect, obey". | |||
| Latin | observe | ||
| Latin "observare" also means to "heed" or "comply with". | |||
Observe in Others Languages
| Greek | παρατηρώ | ||
| Derived from the verb Παρατηρέω, παρατηρώ ("keep near somebody"), παρατηρώ, means "be present" or "keep close". | |||
| Hmong | saib | ||
| The word "saib" in Hmong can also mean "to watch" or "to look at". | |||
| Kurdish | şopgirtin | ||
| The word "şopgirtin" can also mean "to look for" or "to inspect" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | gözlemek | ||
| Gözlemek, also meaning 'to wait' in Turkish, originates from the Persian word 'guzadan'. | |||
| Xhosa | qaphela | ||
| "Qaphela" in Xhosa, meaning "observe," can also mean "gaze at" or "watch intently." | |||
| Yiddish | אָבסערווירן | ||
| The Yiddish word "אָבסערווירן" (observe) is derived from the German word "observieren" (to observe) and the Latin word "observare" (to keep watch). | |||
| Zulu | qaphela | ||
| "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. | |||
| Assamese | অনুভৱ কৰা | ||
| Aymara | uñjaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | गौर से देखल | ||
| Dhivehi | އޮބްޒަރވް | ||
| Dogri | ध्यान कन्नै दिक्खना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | obserbahan | ||
| Guarani | jesareko | ||
| Ilocano | kitaen a nalaing | ||
| Krio | wach | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تێبینی کردن | ||
| Maithili | अवलोकन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯦꯡꯁꯤꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chik | ||
| Oromo | qalbeeffachuun ilaaluu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପାଳନ କର | | ||
| Quechua | qaway | ||
| Sanskrit | अवलोकयति | ||
| Tatar | күзәтегез | ||
| Tigrinya | ትዕዝብቲ | ||
| Tsonga | valanga | ||