How To Say 'Look/Watch/See' In Vietnamese? Comprehensive Guide To Understand Each Usage In 5 Min

“Look/Watch/See” are probably one of the most common verbs we often use in our daily life. However, there are many words to mean “Look/Watch/See” in Vietnamese.

So on today’s post, we will learn how to say “Look/Watch/See” in Vietnamese and how to use them properly.

How To Say “Look/Watch/See” In Vietnamese? #

First of all, how many expressions do we have to say “Look/Watch/See” in Vietnamese? As far as I researched, there are mainly 4 basic Vietnamese words to mean “Look/Watch/See” as follows.

nhìn
thấy
xem
trông

These are the common words often appeaorange in the daily conversation. So let’s take a look one by one to understand the meaning and the usage.

What Does “Nhìn” Mean In Vietnamese? #

Alt text — what does ’nhìn’ mean in Vietnamese?

“Nhìn” is used when you are looking at something with an attention.

Here are the example sentences by using “nhìn”.

Tôi nhìn thấy một ngôi nhà đẹp.
I look at the beautiful house.

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Cô gái đang nhìn vào tấm ảnh cũ.
She is looking at the old photo.

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In these sentences, “nhìn” is a visual act, which means to see, observe, pay attention, representing the act of catching things visually.

Not only that, “nhìn” is also used to mean “evaluate” in the following context.

Chúng ta cần nhìn nhận các khía cạnh khác nhau của vấn đề này.
We need to assess different aspects of this issue.

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Usage of “Nhìn” in Vietnamese.

❶Look : Look at something with an attention.
❷Evaluate : Assess an issue, situation etc

On top of that, let me share some common idioms by using “nhìn”. Here are the common phrases of “nhìn” used in our daily life.

Idioms of “nhìn”

Nhìn chung : Generally speaking

e.g.
Nhìn chung ở thanh phố có nhiều người hơn nông thôn.
In general, there are more people in cities than in rural areas.

What Does “Thấy” Mean In Vietnamese? #

“Thấy” is used to describe the act of visually perceiving something or having a sensory experience. Here are some examples to further illustrate its meaning.

Tôi thấy một con chim đang hót trên cây.
I see a bird singing on the tree.

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Tôi thấy sự hạnh phúc khi ở bên gia đình.
I feel happy when I am with my family.

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Moreover, “thấy” is used to describe “think” in these context.

Em thấy sách này thú vị và đáng đọc.
I think this book is interesting and worth reading.

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Usage of “Thấy” in Vietnamese.

❶Look : Look at something with an attention.
❷Feel : Sensory experience or expressions
❸Think : Describe your thought

What Does “Xem” Mean In Vietnamese? #

“Xem” is used to describe the act of observing or paying attention to something visually, particularly in the context of watching or viewing something, such as a movie, sports, videos or natural scenery.

In order to distinguish with other similar Vietnamese words, let’s take some examples.

Tôi thích xem hoàng hôn từ bãi biển.
I enjoy watching the sunset from the beach.

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Not only just watching visual content, “xem” has the meaning of “refer to info or contents” or “take into consideration” as the following examples.

Tôi đang xem email của bạn.
I am checking your email.

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Tôi xem ý kiến của bạn là rất quan trọng.
It’s very important to consider your opinion.

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Usage of “Xem” in Vietnamese.

❶Watching visual contents (video, scenery, movie etc)
❷Browsing info or contents (email, website etc)
❸Considering, referring to something (situation, opinions etc)

In addition, let’s take a look at some idioms using “xem”.

Idioms of “xem”

Xem A như ~ : A as ~

e.g.
Tôi xem bạn như gia đình của tôi .
I consider you as my family.

What Does “Trông” Mean In Vietnamese? #

“Trông” is used to describe the act of visually assessing or perceiving the external appearance or impression of someone or something. Here are some examples by using “trông”.

Cậu bé trông rất hạnh phúc khi được nhận quà.
The boy looks very happy when receiving a gift.

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Ngôi nhà mới của tôi trông hiện đại và sang trọng.
My new house looks modern and luxurious.

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Usage of “Trông” in Vietnamese.

❶Perceiving visual representation or impression to things or people.
❷Guessing from the visual impression

Similar Expressions Of “Look/Watch/See” In Vietnamese #

In addition to the words introduced above, there are many similar expressions related to “Look/Watch/See” in Vietnamese. So let me breifly share it here as well.

What Does “Coi” Mean In Vietnamese? #

“Coi” is used to express the act of watching, looking at, or considering something. The usage is quite similar to “xem” in Vietnamese, also “coi” is more commonly used in a casual conversation. Here is the example of using “coi” in Vietnamese.

Bạn có thể coi bộ phim này với tôi không?
Can you watch this movie with me?

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What Does “Quan Sát” Mean In Vietnamese? #

“Quan sát” is used to describe the act of carefully and attentively watching or monitoring something or someone. It can be applied to various contexts, such as medical observation, scientific observation, nature observation, decision-making, or surveillance. Here is the example of using “quan sát” in Vietnamese.

Bác sĩ đang quan sát tình trạng sức khỏe của bệnh nhân.
The doctor is observing the patient’s health condition.

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Summary #

There are many different expressions to mean ‘Look/Watch/See’ in Vietnamese. So it’s important to understand the meaning of each vocabularies and use them properly to fit each contexts.

About me #

Thank you so much for reading my contents! I hope you like my contents and follow me on Youtube:)

I am living in Vietnam, Danang.
Passionate mobile app/web developer.
After working in Japan for a couple of years, I moved to Vietnam, Da Nang.
I love tech, Vietnamese and contents creating

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