mirar
“mirar” means “to look at” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to look at
Also: to watch
📝 In Action
¡Mira! Hay un gato en el techo.
A1Look! There's a cat on the roof.
¿Por qué me miras así?
A2Why are you looking at me like that?
Me gusta sentarme en el parque y mirar a la gente pasar.
B1I like to sit in the park and watch people go by.
to check
Also: to look up
📝 In Action
Voy a mirar el horario del autobús.
B1I'm going to check the bus schedule.
¿Puedes mirar si dejé las llaves en la mesa?
B1Can you check if I left the keys on the table?
Tengo que mirar una palabra en el diccionario.
B2I have to look up a word in the dictionary.
to face
Also: to overlook
📝 In Action
Nuestra habitación de hotel mira al mar.
B2Our hotel room faces the sea.
La fachada principal de la casa mira hacia el sur.
C1The main facade of the house faces south.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: mirar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'mirar' to mean 'to check'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'mīrārī', which meant 'to wonder at, to admire'. Over time, its meaning shifted from admiring what you see to the simple act of looking itself.
First recorded: Around the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the real difference between 'mirar' and 'ver'?
Think of it this way: 'mirar' is the action you do with your eyes (to look, to direct your gaze), while 'ver' is the result of that action (to see, to perceive). You 'miras' the TV (you direct your eyes at it) in order to 'ver' the movie (to see and understand it). They are often used interchangeably when talking about watching shows, but 'mirar' focuses more on the intention and action of looking.
Do I always need to add 'a' after 'mirar' when talking about people?
Yes, it's a very important rule. It's called the 'personal a'. Any time the thing that is 'receiving' the action of the verb is a specific person (or a pet you care about), you need to put 'a' before them. So, it's 'Miro la mesa' but 'Miro a mi madre'.