How to Say "looking" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “looking” is “mirando” — use 'mirando' when describing the physical act of directing your eyes towards something or observing it, often as an ongoing action..
mirando
/mee-RAHN-doh//miˈɾando/
Examples
Estoy mirando las estrellas.
I am looking at the stars.
Estoy mirando la televisión.
I am watching television.
¿Qué estás mirando?
What are you looking at?
Pasé la tarde mirando las nubes.
I spent the afternoon looking at the clouds.
The Spanish '-ing' Form
'Mirando' is the Spanish way to add '-ing' to the verb 'mirar' (to look). It's called a 'gerundio' and it describes an action that is in progress. You almost always use it with a helper verb like 'estar' (to be).
How to Form It
For verbs ending in -ar, like 'mirar', you just drop the -ar and add -ando. It's a very reliable pattern! For verbs ending in -er or -ir, you usually add -iendo.
Using it Alone
Mistake: “Yo mirando la tele.”
Correction: Yo estoy mirando la tele.
quedando
keh-DAHN-doh/keˈðan̪do/
Examples
El pastel está quedando delicioso.
The cake is turning out delicious.
La pared está quedando del color que queríamos.
The wall is turning out the color we wanted.
Este vestido te está quedando muy bien.
This dress is fitting you very well / is looking very good on you.
Focus on Change
When 'quedando' is used this way, it emphasizes the continuous process of change, not just the final result (which would use 'quedado').
Always Needs an Adjective
This meaning usually requires an adjective to describe the outcome: 'quedando bonito', 'quedando mal', etc.
Mirando vs. Quedando
Related Translations
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