How to Say "they look" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “they look” is “miran” — use 'miran' when 'they look' means to direct one's eyes towards something or to observe..
miran
MEE-rahn/ˈmi.ɾan/
Examples
Los turistas miran el mapa para encontrar la plaza.
The tourists look at the map to find the square.
Ustedes miran muy serios, ¿pasa algo?
You all look very serious, is something happening?
The 'They' Form
"Miran" is the form you use when the action is done by 'ellos' (they, masculine/mixed group), 'ellas' (they, feminine), or 'ustedes' (you all, formal).
Preposition 'A'
When you look at something specific, Spanish often uses the preposition 'a' (at/to) right after the verb, especially if it's a person: 'Miran a su profesor' (They look at their teacher).
Confusing 'Look' and 'See'
Mistake: “Usando 'ven' cuando se quiere decir 'miran'.”
Correction: 'Ver' (ven) means 'to see' (the result of sight). 'Mirar' (miran) means 'to look' (the action of directing sight). Use 'miran' when talking about intention.
miren
/MEE-rehn//ˈmi.ɾen/
Examples
¡Miren! Un pájaro muy raro.
Look! A very strange bird.
Por favor, todos miren hacia el frente.
Please, everyone look towards the front.
Es importante que miren las instrucciones antes de empezar.
It's important that you all look at the instructions before starting.
The Many Jobs of 'Miren'
This one word can be a command ('Look!'), part of a regular sentence ('You all look'), or a special form for wishes and doubts ('I hope you look'). The words around it tell you which job it's doing.
Who is 'Miren' for?
'Miren' is used when talking TO a group of people (like 'you all' or 'y'all'). It's also used when talking ABOUT a group of people ('they') in certain sentences that express wishes, doubts, or commands.
For a Group, Not One Person
Mistake: “Saying '¡Miren!' when talking to just one friend.”
Correction: For one friend, use '¡Mira!'. 'Miren' is always for more than one person.
vean
/VEH-ahn//ˈbe.an/
Examples
Espero que ellos vean la diferencia entre los dos modelos.
I hope that they see the difference between the two models.
¡Vean este video antes de empezar la reunión!
Watch this video before starting the meeting!
Tal vez ustedes vean la solución más rápido que yo.
Maybe you all (formal) will see the solution faster than I do.
The Subjunctive Trigger
You use 'vean' (the special wish form) when the first part of the sentence expresses a wish, doubt, emotion, or command directed toward 'them' or 'you all' (formal). For example: 'Dudo que vean el partido' (I doubt they see the game).
Formal Plural Command
'Vean' is the formal way to tell a group of people ('ustedes') to see or watch something. It's polite and usually used in professional or instructional settings: 'Vean la pantalla' (Look at the screen).
Mixing Indicative and Subjunctive
Mistake: “Espero que ellos ven el error.”
Correction: Espero que ellos vean el error. (The verb after 'hope' needs the special form, 'vean', not the normal present tense 'ven'.)
queden
/KEH-dehn//ˈkeðen/
Examples
Dudo que esos zapatos les queden bien.
I doubt those shoes fit them well.
Ella quiere que las fotos queden perfectas.
She wants the photos to turn out perfect.
Expressing Wishes for Results
When you use verbs like 'querer' (to want) or 'desear' (to wish) about how things turn out, you need 'queden': 'Quiero que queden contentos' (I want them to end up happy).
Miran vs. Miren vs. Vean
Related Translations
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