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How to Say "seen" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “seen” is “visto” — use 'visto' when referring to the past participle of 'to see' or an adjective indicating something has been observed or experienced..

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visto

/bees-toh//ˈbisto/

Past Participle / AdjectiveA2General
Use 'visto' when referring to the past participle of 'to see' or an adjective indicating something has been observed or experienced.
A child looking up in awe at a brilliant shooting star crossing a dark, clear night sky.

Examples

Nunca he visto una estrella fugaz.

I have never seen a shooting star.

Una vez visto el problema, es más fácil solucionarlo.

Once the problem is seen, it's easier to solve it.

Este documental es el más visto del año.

This documentary is the most-watched of the year.

—No te olvides de comprar pan. —Visto.

—Don't forget to buy bread. —Got it.

Making 'Have Seen' Tenses

Combine 'visto' with the helper verb 'haber' to say what you 'have seen'. For example, 'he visto' (I have seen), 'has visto' (you have seen). In these phrases, 'visto' never changes its ending.

Using 'Visto' to Describe Nouns

When 'visto' describes a person or thing, it acts like an adjective and must match the noun. Use 'visto' for masculine things and 'vista' for feminine things. For plurals, use 'vistos' and 'vistas'.

Changing the Ending with 'Haber'

Mistake: “La he vista la película.”

Correction: He visto la película. (Or: La he visto.) When 'visto' follows 'haber' (he, has, ha...), it always stays 'visto', even if you're talking about a feminine noun like 'película'.

visto

/bees-toh//ˈbisto/

InterjectionB1Informal
Use 'visto' as a quick interjection to confirm you have seen or understood a message or instruction, similar to 'got it' or 'understood'.
A child looking up in awe at a brilliant shooting star crossing a dark, clear night sky.

Examples

—No te olvides de comprar pan. —Visto.

—Don't forget to buy bread. —Got it.

Nunca he visto una estrella fugaz.

I have never seen a shooting star.

Una vez visto el problema, es más fácil solucionarlo.

Once the problem is seen, it's easier to solve it.

Este documental es el más visto del año.

This documentary is the most-watched of the year.

Making 'Have Seen' Tenses

Combine 'visto' with the helper verb 'haber' to say what you 'have seen'. For example, 'he visto' (I have seen), 'has visto' (you have seen). In these phrases, 'visto' never changes its ending.

Using 'Visto' to Describe Nouns

When 'visto' describes a person or thing, it acts like an adjective and must match the noun. Use 'visto' for masculine things and 'vista' for feminine things. For plurals, use 'vistos' and 'vistas'.

Changing the Ending with 'Haber'

Mistake: “La he vista la película.”

Correction: He visto la película. (Or: La he visto.) When 'visto' follows 'haber' (he, has, ha...), it always stays 'visto', even if you're talking about a feminine noun like 'película'.

mirado

mee-RAH-doh/miˈɾa.ðo/

VerbA1General
Use 'mirado' when specifically referring to the act of watching a show, movie, or television program.
A smiling child holding red binoculars up to their eyes, looking intently at a distant bird perched on a branch, depicting the action of having looked.

Examples

Hemos mirado esa película tres veces ya.

We have watched that movie three times already.

¿Alguna vez has mirado al cielo nocturno desde el desierto?

Have you ever looked at the night sky from the desert?

Forming Perfect Tenses

'Mirado' is the form you combine with the verb 'haber' (to have) to talk about actions completed in the past, like 'He mirado' (I have looked).

Using 'Estar' + Participle

You can use 'estar' (to be) plus 'mirado' to describe a state resulting from the action: 'La casa estaba bien mirada' (The house was well-cared for/looked after).

Mixing up Participles

Mistake: “Using 'soy mirado' instead of 'he mirado'.”

Correction: Use 'haber' (he, has, ha, hemos, etc.) to form perfect tenses. Use 'ser' (soy, eres, es, etc.) only for the passive voice (which is less common) or 'estar' for resulting states.

Watching vs. Seeing

Learners often confuse 'mirado' and 'visto' when talking about media. Remember that 'mirado' is specifically for watching shows or movies, while 'visto' is the general past participle of 'to see' for any kind of observation.

Related Translations

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