Today’s Spanish word of the day is “mirar”.
It’s a verb meaning “to look at” or “to watch”.
The word “mirar” comes from Latin mirari, meaning “to wonder”, which is also the root of the English word “admire”.
Example sentences
Ella mira su teléfono constantemente.
She looks at her phone constantly.
¿Puedes mirar el mapa?
Can you look at the map?
Miramos las fotos del viaje ayer.
We looked at the photos from the trip yesterday.
Mira ambos lados antes de cruzar la calle.
Look both ways before crossing the street.
No mires atrás.
Don’t look back.
Mirar vs. ver
In English, the concept of “to watch” or “to look at” is a bit different to that of “to see”. Watching implies greater focus, whereas seeing is more passive.
The same is true in Spanish. “Mirar”, meaning “to watch” or “to look at”, implies more focused attention or an international action to direct your eyes towards something. “Ver”, meaning “to see”, implies perceiving something in a more passive way.
