look vs. watch vs. see
What's the difference between look, see and watch?
1 Answer
Son palabras usadas en contextos diferentes. No soy profesora de gramática, pero hablo inglés, y esto es lo que pienso...
"Look" normalmente significa mirando una cosa temporalmente. "Look at that star!" significa que sólo estarás mirando la estrella por poco tiemo, para verla. Echar un vistazo o una mirada a una cosa.
"Look out!" es como "¡Ojo!" o "¡Cuidado!
"Look for" es buscar.
See is a little longer than look. En el pasado significa una mirada. Cuando lo usas en el presente, significa mirar, pero tiempo finito.
Pasado:
- Did you see the dress Beyoncé wore at the Grammys?
- Did you see the new Tom Cruise movie?
- I saw Sarah at the park yesterday.
pero también puede significar "visitar" en el pasado:
- I saw my grandmother in the hospital last week. She has been very sick.
Presente:
- Do you see what´s happening here?
- Do you see what I see?
Watch es como mirar. Es la acción de ver una cosa por tiempo largo o finito, con intención de comprenderla. You watch something to absorb the information or to understand it. Estás enfocado en este actividad. You can watch a football game, watch TV, watch your children grow up, watch as the sun sets behind the mountains...etc. Watch normalmente significa una acción que puedes empezar y terminar en cualquier momento. No hay un principio ni fin, necesariamente. You can stop watching something, then start again later.
Normally, you watch something that is in motion, or an action. You cannot "watch" a building. You can see a building. You can look at a building. But you cannot say "I am watching this building" unless you expect something to happen (like set on fire, or collapse or change colors!).
Más o menos, con respecto al tiempo, de corto a largo, es look, see, watch.
Unas frases con estos verbos:
- Look out for falling rocks when you climb up the mountain!
- Turn on your computer and look for the start button to begin.
- Look at the petri dish and see if you can find the crystals. Do you see them?
- See a movie(or TV show)/watch a movie (or TV show) (see normalmente usas en el tiempo pasado, watch en el tiempo presente)
- Did you see that movie last weekend? Do you want to watch a movie? I am watching
- See a play/musical/opera/show (lo usas para cosas en directo/en vivo. Es incorrecto decir "watch" para cosas en directo/vivo)
- I am watching my weight/I am watching my figure/I am watching what I eat.=maneras de decir "estoy de dieta"
- I am looking out my window, watching the cars drive by my house.
Para tiempo, es un poco más dificil:
- Watch the time so you won´t be late!
- Can you see what time it is?
- Look at the clock and tell me what time it is.
Espero que me entiendas.
