Mirar?

[banannamuffin]

If I want to say I watched a movie or t.v. program, is mirar the right verb to use? I can't remember.

[sosia]

You can use"mirar", but the most common verb is "ver"
ayer ví en la tele la serie "House"
Fuimos al cine a ver "Wall-e"

"mirar" is more used for looking for something "estuve mirando tiendas de ropa", Ana, mira lo bien que me sienta este vestido", "juan, mira aquí"
Saludos

[Anonimo]

I would actually say that it highly depends on the context and special meaning you would like to specify in the verb. To me, the difference between mirar and ver is the level of consciousness applied to the action. Just like in "oir" y "escuchar". Todos nacemos sabiendo ver; pero el mirar, solo se aprende. Me explico?
So it will only be left to you to decide whether you are actually analyzing whatever you are watching on tv or not.
I could make this explanation a million times more convoluted, for the idioms and multiple meanings and usages of both verbs are very flexible. As in "a mi manera de ver", which implies some thinking. Yet, Im explicitly describing the action of, to leave it clear in some way, looking.
Though, I may add, that as it would be expected to happen to any tongue spoken by a wide range of people belonging to different cultures, geographical positions, and events in their national histories, some preferences seem to prevail in the usage of these two verbs. For example, I have heard many Mexicans and Central Americans say: Como me miro? (How do I look?), which to me sounds quite funny, but this is so because of my background. Sometimes usages in Spanish, as in English, are a matter of preferences and popularity, regardless of who dictates what is correct demeaning the many domains of Spanish.

Contre de nous la tyrannie!

[chileno]

Hola Anonimo.

Originally Posted by Anonimo

For example, I have heard many Mexicans and Central Americans say: Como me miro? (How do I look?), which to me sounds quite funny, but this is so because of my background. Sometimes usages in Spanish, as in English, are a matter of preferences and popularity, regardless of who dictates what is correct demeaning the many domains of Spanish.

Contre de nous la tyrannie!

Eso solo es un "spanglish". People from other latinamerican countries start doing that bit, along with those children born to immigrants. They tend to mixiar todo. :-)

The fact that certain people say ain't and really do not know another way to express themselves, is something else. Well, that happens to immigrants and their "prole"

[poli]

It translates directly: ver=to see mirar=to look(at) lucir=to look(as in to look good, how do I look?)
You could say I looked at the movie and it may mean that you really didn't pay much attention.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

It translates directly: ver=to see mirar=to look(at) lucir=to look(as in to look good, how do I look?)
You could say I looked at the movie and it may mean that you really didn't pay much attention.

Yes! Although it isn't used much, you sure can say. Mire la pelicula pero necesito sentarme a verla con detencion. :-)

Sorry for the accents. Mira si los puedes poner tu. ;-> Como se usaria este ultimo?



Hernan.

[Jessica]

ver is the best one.

[CrOtALiTo]

I agree with all ( Mirar la is the best one)

Or you can use the word Observar but it's less used for the people.

[Jessica]

wait which one? mirar or ver? :P

[CrOtALiTo]

I suggest the word Ver

[Anonimo]

Originally Posted by chileno

Hola Anonimo.


Eso solo es un "spanglish". People from other latinamerican countries start doing that bit, along with those children born to immigrants. They tend to mixiar todo. :-)

Spanglish? What are you talking about? Its only a matter of preference. I decided to followed the sentence with a translation in English. I wasnt declaring it as a form of dialectic alteration of Spanglish.

As for poli's comment: These verbs cant be translated directly into English. The fact that look is an intransitive verb when trying to express the action of observing makes my point clear, plus the meanings are not exactly the same. "I look you" sounds aweful in English, whereas ver y mirar in Spanish are both transitive verbs. It seems that almost everyone forgot that the most widely used verb in English for this ocassion is watch, whose meaning is hard to convey in Spanish since it implies observing as an spectator.
La diferencia entre los verbos Ver y Mirar se basa en el nivel de atencion que cada uno incluye en su significado. La accion de ver es la de observar en un estado menos conciente que la accion de mirar. En este caso, supondriamos que mirar es el verbo indicado para esta situacion. Esa fue mi explicacion, pero realice mas hincapie en la cuestion de que la lengua española es diversa y ofrece variedades regionales que responden a las diferentes preferencias de cada demografia. Yo no utilizaria, como me miro? Sino, como me veo? Pero la primera persevera en Mexico.
La oracion "Yo miro la television" suena mas precisa bajo mi punto de vista; pero la oracion "Yo veo la television" expresa la observacion del aparato electrodomestico, no la de su contenido grafico; pero las preferencias son bastas y representan en si una forma de defender el uso de cualquiera. Si a estas oraciones se les quita el articulo, mi preferencia seria "yo miro television", ya que "yo veo television" suena a una accion de observar de manera concientemente ausente.

Contre de nous la tyrannie!

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Anonimo

For example, I have heard many Mexicans and Central Americans say: Como me miro? (How do I look?), which to me sounds quite funny, but this is so because of my background. Sometimes usages in Spanish, as in English, are a matter of preferences and popularity, regardless of who dictates what is correct demeaning the many domains of Spanish.

Originally Posted by chileno

Hola Anonimo.

Eso solo es un "spanglish". People from other latinamerican countries start doing that bit, along with those children born to immigrants. They tend to mixiar todo. :-)

Maybe I should've said:"It's a form of those cognos words"

Originally Posted by Anonimo

Spanglish? What are you talking about? Its only a matter of preference. I decided to followed the sentence with a translation in English. I wasnt declaring it as a form of dialectic alteration of Spanglish.

As for poli's comment: These verbs cant be translated directly into English. The fact that look is an intransitive verb when trying to express the action of observing makes my point clear, plus the meanings are not exactly the same. "I look you" sounds aweful in English, whereas ver y mirar in Spanish are both transitive verbs. It seems that almost everyone forgot that the most widely used verb in English for this ocassion is watch, whose meaning is hard to convey in Spanish since it implies observing as an spectator.
La diferencia entre los verbos Ver y Mirar se basa en el nivel de atencion que cada uno incluye en su significado. La accion de ver es la de observar en un estado menos conciente que la accion de mirar. En este caso, supondriamos que mirar es el verbo indicado para esta situacion. Esa fue mi explicacion, pero realice mas hincapie en la cuestion de que la lengua española es diversa y ofrece variedades regionales que responden a las diferentes preferencias de cada demografia. Yo no utilizaria, como me miro? Sino, como me veo? Pero la primera persevera en Mexico.
La oracion "Yo miro la television" suena mas precisa bajo mi punto de vista; pero la oracion "Yo veo la television" expresa la observacion del aparato electrodomestico, no la de su contenido grafico; pero las preferencias son bastas y representan en si una forma de defender el uso de cualquiera. Si a estas oraciones se les quita el articulo, mi preferencia seria "yo miro television", ya que "yo veo television" suena a una accion de observar de manera concientemente ausente.

Contre de nous la tyrannie!

To make it a bit shorter. (it is way long already)

Ver y mirar you can use it the same way you use English.

What you have witnessed about mirar TV from chicanos and even mexicans that have not been in the US for long. Is just plain ignorance of English.

Just yesterday, I was telling my students about this and other anomalies.

I asked punctualy, when in Mexico do you miras o ves la tele? Some told me miro, but when a just arrived person said veo, then the rest or most said AH! that's true we vemos la tele.

I am sorry if I am not on the topic of the post. Just that I saw something that I wanted to explain some more. ;-)

[poli]

Originally Posted by Anonimo

Spanglish? What are you talking about? Its only a matter of preference. I decided to followed the sentence with a translation in English. I wasnt declaring it as a form of dialectic alteration of Spanglish.

As for poli's comment: These verbs cant be translated directly into English. The fact that look is an intransitive verb when trying to express the action of observing makes my point clear, plus the meanings are not exactly the same. "I look you" sounds aweful in English, whereas ver y mirar in Spanish are both transitive verbs. It seems that almost everyone forgot that the most widely used verb in English for this ocassion is watch, whose meaning is hard to convey in Spanish since it implies observing as an spectator.
La diferencia entre los verbos Ver y Mirar se basa en el nivel de atencion que cada uno incluye en su significado. La accion de ver es la de observar en un estado menos conciente que la accion de mirar. En este caso, supondriamos que mirar es el verbo indicado para esta situacion. Esa fue mi explicacion, pero realice mas hincapie en la cuestion de que la lengua española es diversa y ofrece variedades regionales que responden a las diferentes preferencias de cada demografia. Yo no utilizaria, como me miro? Sino, como me veo? Pero la primera persevera en Mexico.
La oracion "Yo miro la television" suena mas precisa bajo mi punto de vista; pero la oracion "Yo veo la television" expresa la observacion del aparato electrodomestico, no la de su contenido grafico; pero las preferencias son bastas y representan en si una forma de defender el uso de cualquiera. Si a estas oraciones se les quita el articulo, mi preferencia seria "yo miro television", ya que "yo veo television" suena a una accion de observar de manera concientemente ausente.

Contre de nous la tyrannie!

Muy interesante. Tendré que concentrar antes de usar estes dos verbos.
Ahora,¿ que opines de los verbos escuchar y oir?¿Es algo parecido a los verbos ver y mirar? Conozco un peruano que dice "no te escucho" cuando hay una interrupción el el mobil (celular). Más tipicamente se dice "no te oigo" Antes pensaba que oir corresponde con mirar y eschuchar corresponde con ver.

He looks but doesn't to see. He hears but doesn't listen.
Él mira pero no ve. Él oye pero no escucha--is that a direct translation? I thought it was, but now I'm not so sure)

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Muy interesante. Tendré que concentrar antes de usar estes dos verbos.
Ahora,¿ que opines de los verbos escuchar y oir?¿Es algo parecido a los verbos ver y mirar? Conozco un peruano que dice "no te escucho" cuando hay una interrupción el el mobil (celular). Más tipicamente se dice "no te oigo" Antes pensaba que oir corresponde con mirar y eschuchar corresponde con ver.

He looks but doesn't to see. He hears but doesn't listen.
Él mira pero no ve. Él oye pero no escucha--is that a direct translation? I thought it was, but now I'm not so sure)

Esta muy bien. Tambien se "DEBEN" de usar como en ingles, y como lo comprende ud. y cualquier persona que tenga un poco de educacion formal. Aunque es muy típico que nosotros los chileno digamos lo mismo. Y algunas veces hasta tenemos que pensar mucho para re-establecer ese conocimiento versus el uso.

No es lo mismo que el fenomeno que sucede aqui en USA.

Que yo sepa, en todos los paises latinoamericanos se dice ver la television y no mirar.

Aqui dicen mirar la television, porque me imagino lo igualan al LOOK en ingles. Y eso al parecer se ha estado pasando de generacion en generacion. Y por supuesto, persona nueva que llega, trata de "imitar" a la gente que esta mas tiempo aqui o nacio aqui. etc.

Irresponsablemente suyo. (Pero con mucho respeto)

Hernan.

[lee ying]

we use this words making sense to the sentences. for example.
I watched tv all the day on saturday . mire, observe, vi el pardido en todo el dia el sabado.
I`m watching soccer match on the TV. Inter de milan vs manchester. Estoy mirando el partido de futbol en la tv.
I see that you a lot of problems. veo que tienes un monto de problemas
I saw an angel, of that I`m sure. vi un angel de eso estoy seguro
look at the picture: mira la foto.
look at me!: mirame!
I^m confued but I understand a little. *_*

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by lee ying

we use this words making sense to the sentences. for example.
I watched tv all the day on saturday . mire, observe, vi el pardido en todo el dia el sabado.
I`m watching soccer match on the TV. Inter de milan vs manchester. Estoy mirando el partido de futbol en la tv.
I see that you a lot of problems. veo que tienes un monto de problemas
I saw an angel, of that I`m sure. vi un angel de eso estoy seguro
look at the picture: mira la foto.
look at me!: mirame!
I^m confued but I understand a little. *_*

I will correct you.

I saw the TV during all the day at Saturday.

I'm watching soccer game in the TV.

I see that you have problems. I can be sure it.

I saw an angels of that I can be sure.

I'm confused it. But you can understanding me a little my examples.


Lee_ying. We mostly used the word see to say Ver. In Mexico it's less common used. Because when you are referring to watch something. Then you are saying Estoy observando algo although. The word Watch is correct in our language. But merely I prefer use the word See.

For example.

I'm watching you. As you are finishing yourself when you take alcohol.

I'm seeing the clouds from my house.

You are seeing to the girl of my side.

[poli]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

I will correct you.

I watched the TV all day on Saturday.

I'm watching the soccer game on the TV.

I see that you have problems. I can be sure of it.

I saw an angel. Of that I can be sure.

I may be confused, but you will understand my examples.


Lee_ying. We mostly use the word see to say Ver. In Mexico it's less commonly used. Because when you talking watching something, then you are saying Estoy observando algo. The word Watch is correct in our language. But merely I prefer use the word See.

For example.

I'm watching you as you are (finishing yourself-do you mean getting drunk?--finishing yourself is a confusing thing the say) when you take alcohol.

I'm seeing the clouds from my house.

You are seeing (much more commonly you would say watching or looking at) the girl at my side.

-----
I hope this helps

[CrOtALiTo]

Poli. Poli checa esto.





Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo
I will correct you.

I watched the TV all day on Saturday. ( Vi la television) ( Mi forma es Estoy viendo la television)

I'm watching the soccer game on the TV.

I see that you have problems. I can be sure of it.

I saw an angel. Of that I can be sure.

I may be confused, but you will understand my examples. ( Mi expresion fue estoy confundido, no Podria estar confundido se que esta bien tu ejemplo pero cambia totalmente mi forma)


Lee_ying. We mostly use the word see to say Ver. In Mexico it's less commonly( Ahi dice comunmente, y yo puse menos comun) used. Because when you talking watching something, then you are saying Estoy observando algo. The word Watch is correct in our language. But merely I prefer use the word See.

For example.

I'm watching you as you are (finishing yourself-do you mean getting drunk?--finishing yourself is a confusing thing the say) when you take alcohol.

( Si mi expresion fue Te estas acabando cuando tomas alcohol)

I'm seeing the clouds from my house.

You are seeing (much more commonly you would say watching or looking at) the girl at my side.

(Estoy de acuerdo)

[Anonimo]

Esta vez intetare realizar mi explicacion de una manera mas concisa. Por favor entiendan mi comentario antes de refutarlo, y comprendan lo que escribo.

Ver: esta es una accion de observar, si analizaran su uso hasta podrian notar que tiene cierto sentido espacial, lo cual reivindica mi punto.
Mirar: esta es una accion de observar contemplativamente, con mas razonamiento y enfoque que ver.
Ej:
"Veo tus ojos" Como en: Veo tus ojos desde aqui! Noten como: miro tus ojos desde aqui no es correcto (el porque es explicado en el siginificado de ver, arriba)

"Miro tus ojos" Ej: Que estas haciendo? Miro tus ojos. Esta es una accion mas profunda, y mucho mas enfocada que ver. Noten: Mirame a los ojos es mas razonable que veme a los ojos. Lo mismo con: Mira mis ojos, ve mis ojos, te miro a los ojos, te veo a los ojos. Si no notan la diferencia entre, "te miro despiadamente" y "te veo despiadadamente" no comprenden el español como lengua madre.

Los verbos relacionados con los sentidos del gusto, olfato y tacto no tienen una forma verbal de expresion mas conciente como los de la vision y audicion. Esto se debe a que los conocimientos nuevos, en personas con los cinco sentidos presente, se adquieren atravez de una forma verbal y/o escrita (las cuales precisan razonamiento). La accion de mirar y escuchar es mas cognitiva que la de gustar, tocar u oler. En fin, se puede ver sin mirar, y oir sin escuchar.

Tambien comprendan que jamas exprese que un verbo es mas exacto para esta accion que el otro (las costumbres deben tomarse en cuenta), tan solo di una explicacion liguistica del porque mirar es mas logico que ver la television, jamas defendi mi punto con el motivo de que "suena mejor" o "su uso es mas popular", esto seria poco preciso y menos objetivo. PEro si a ese caso se refiere, mi costumbre es de mirar la tele, y escuchar, no oir, la radio. Esta ultima es una analogia complementaria a mi exegesis, la cual ya habia nombrado en el primer comentario. Ademas, mirar television si se utiliza, en lugar de ver la tele, en ciertas parte de Latinoamerica.

Esto es un ejemplo de que tanto la trivialidad puede volverse tema que quisiera ser importante! Espero que este post no le cambie la vida a nadie.

[Tomisimo]

I agree with Anónimo.

ver = the physical act of sensory perception when light enters the eyes and you see.
mirar = in addition to the physical act of seeing, this includes assimilating, processing and perhaps even responding mentally to the data that you saw.

A similar dichotomy (although there is some overlap) exists with oír and escuchar. Oír is akin to ver, and escuchar to mirar.