How to say “see” around the world
5,380 languages · 253 in their own spelling
Dots of one colour begin with a similar sound. Colours group words by the class of their first consonant (a sound-class method used in linguistics): words that begin alike share a colour. This shows resemblance, not common origin — proving relationship needs case-by-case comparison. Readable forms come from Wiktionary translation tables; many smaller languages come from the ASJP word lists, in ASJP’s simplified transcription.
| Language | Word | Romanization | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 看见 | kànjiàn | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | see | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | ver | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | देखना | dekhnā | Indo-European |
| Arabic | رَأَى | raʔā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | দেখা | dekha | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | melihat | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | ver | Indo-European | |
| French | voir | Indo-European | |
| Russian | ви́деть | vídetʹ | Indo-European |
| Japanese | 見る | miru | Japonic |
| Marathi | पाहणे | pāhṇe | Indo-European |
| Swahili | kuona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | görmek | Turkic | |
| Telugu | చూచు | cūcu | Dravidian |
| Korean | 보다 | boda | Koreanic |
| German | sehen | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | thấy | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | பார் | pār | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 見 | gin³ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Urdu | دیکْھنا | dekhnā | Indo-European |
| Italian | vedere | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | شاف | šāf | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | જોવું | jovũ | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | دِیدَن | dīdan | Indo-European |
| Hausa | gani | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ನೋಡು | nōḍu | Dravidian |
| Polish | widzieć | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | rí | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Malayalam | കാണുക | kāṇuka | Dravidian |
| Odia | ଦେଖିବା | dekhibā | Indo-European |
| Burmese | တွေ့ | twe. | Sino-Tibetan |
| Moroccan Arabic | شاف | šāf | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | ihụ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | ба́чити | báčyty | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | koʻrmoq | Turkic | |
| Romanian | vedea | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | zien | Indo-European | |
| Amharic | አየ | ʾäyä | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | เห็น | hěn | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | ви̏дети | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ឃើញ | khəəñ | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | arkid | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | görmek | Turkic | |
| Assamese | দেখা | dekha | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | දකින්න | dakinna | Indo-European |
| Greek | βλέπω | vlépo | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | dîtin | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | شاف | šāf | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | дидан | didan | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠖꠦꠈꠣ | dexá | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | көру | körüw | Turkic |
| Hungarian | lát | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | kubona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | -bona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Akan | hu | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | ليدل | lidə́l | Indo-European |
| Czech | vidět | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | كۆرمەك | körmek | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | besien | Indo-European | |
| Haitian | wè | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | se | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | görmək | Turkic | |
| Iloko | kita | Austronesian | |
| Bulgarian | ви́ждам | víždam | Indo-European |
| Hiligaynon | kita | Austronesian | |
| Xhosa | ukubona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Belarusian | ба́чыць | báčycʹ | Indo-European |
| Neapolitan | veré | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | دیتن | dîtin | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱧᱮᱞ | ñel | Austroasiatic |
| Kashmiri | وُچھُن | vuchun | Indo-European |
| Northern Thai | ᩉᩢ᩠ᨶ | han | Tai-Kadai |
| Danish | se | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | vidieť | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sotho | bona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Umbundu | okuvandja | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kabyle | ẓer | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Finnish | nähdä | Uralic | |
| Lao | ເຫັນ | hen | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | se | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | күрергә | kürergä | Turkic |
| Catalan | veure | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | hecha | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | vìdiri | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | көрүү | körüü | Turkic |
| Swiss German | gseh | Indo-European | |
| Armenian | տեսնել | tesnel | Indo-European |
| Ganda | -laba | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Lithuanian | matyti | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | lukim | Indo-European | |
| Lombard | vedè | Indo-European | |
| Hassaniyya | شاف | šāv | Afro-Asiatic |
| Georgian | ხედავს | xedavs | Kartvelian |
| Goan Konkani | दिशें | diśẽ | Indo-European |
| Jamaican Creole English | see | Indo-European | |
| Albanian | shoh | Indo-European | |
| Ewe | kpɔ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Shan | ႁၼ် | hǎn | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | үзэх | üzex | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Chadian Arabic | شاف | šāf | Afro-Asiatic |
| Galician | ver | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | videti | Indo-European | |
| Bouyei | ranl | Tai-Kadai | |
| Esperanto | vidi | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | гледа | gleda | Indo-European |
| Piedmontese | vëdde | Indo-European | |
| Venetian | védar | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | raen | Tai-Kadai | |
| Afar | uble | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Latvian | redzēt | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | rikuy | Quechuan | |
| Chechen | га | ga | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Estonian | nägema | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | күреү | kürew | Turkic |
| Tibetan | མཐོང | mthong | Sino-Tibetan |
| Tausug | kita | Austronesian | |
| Kabuverdianu | odja | Indo-European | |
| Western Frisian | sjen | Indo-European | |
| Iu Mien | buatc | Hmong-Mien | |
| Kalmyk | үзх | üzx | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Tai Dam | ꪹꪬꪸꪙ | Tai-Kadai | |
| Basque | ikusi | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | курма | kurma | Turkic |
| Welsh | gweld | Indo-European | |
| Tai Nüa | ᥞᥢᥴ | hán | Tai-Kadai |
| Rusyn | ві́дїти | vídjity | Indo-European |
| Walloon | vey | Indo-European | |
| Maltese | ra | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | körmek | Turkic | |
| Occitan | veire | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | dikhel | Indo-European | |
| Ligurian | védde | Indo-European | |
| Tetum | haree | Austronesian | |
| Asturian | ver | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | көр | kör | Turkic |
| Kumyk | гёрмек | görmek | Turkic |
| Samoan | va'ai | Austronesian | |
| Sranan Tongo | syi | Indo-European | |
| Ingush | го | go | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Icelandic | sjá | Indo-European | |
| Ngazidja Comorian | hwona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Friulian | viodi | Indo-European | |
| Guianese Creole French | wè | Indo-European | |
| Tuvinian | көөр | köör | Turkic |
| Saho | uble | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Udmurt | адӟыны | addźyny | Uralic |
| Zeelandic | zieë | Indo-European | |
| Buriat | хараха | xaraxa | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Māori | kite | Austronesian | |
| Extremaduran | vél | Indo-European | |
| Abkhaz | абара | abara | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Navajo | yooʼį́ | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Bahnar | 'bôh | Austroasiatic | |
| Irish | feic | Indo-European | |
| Aromanian | ved | Indo-European | |
| Belize Kriol English | si | Indo-European | |
| Kashubian | widzec | Indo-European | |
| Breton | gwelet | Indo-European | |
| Saramaccan | si | Indo-European | |
| Seselwa Creole French | vwar | Indo-European | |
| Faroese | síggja | Indo-European | |
| Scottish Gaelic | faic | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | кӧрӧр | körör | Turkic |
| Chuukese | kuna | Austronesian | |
| Sanskrit | पश्यति | paśyati | Indo-European |
| Khakas | кӧрерге | körerge | Turkic |
| Dungan | җян | jian | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | vesair | Indo-European | |
| Aukan | si | Indo-European | |
| Ladin | vedei | Indo-European | |
| Hawaiian | ʻike | Austronesian | |
| North Saami | oaidnit | Uralic | |
| Kajtak | чибига́ра | čibigára | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lamboya | eta | Austronesian | |
| Wakhi | win- | Indo-European | |
| Evenki | ичэми | içəmi | Tungusic |
| Mirandese | ber | Indo-European | |
| Western Apache | yo’įį | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Upper Sorbian | widźeć | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎠᎪᏩᏛᏗ | agowadvdi | Iroquoian |
| Yagnobi | венак | venak | Indo-European |
| Aragonese | veyer | Indo-European | |
| Udi | акӏсун | aḳsun | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lower Sorbian | wiźeś | Indo-European | |
| Atikamekw | wapatam | Algic | |
| Even | иттэй | ittəj | Tungusic |
| Jejueo | 보다 | boda | Koreanic |
| Tokelau | kikila | Austronesian | |
| Mòcheno | sechen | Indo-European | |
| Manx | faik | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | vider | Artificial Language | |
| Nanai | ичэ- | iče- | Tungusic |
| Pipil | tachia | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Istriot | vidi | Indo-European | |
| Istro-Romanian | ved | Indo-European | |
| Cornish | gweles | Indo-European | |
| Southern Sami | gïehtjedidh | Uralic | |
| Skolt Sami | vueiʹnned | Uralic | |
| Narrinyeri | nak | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Central Sierra Miwok | šyl-ŋe- | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Ahom | 𑜑𑜃𑜫 | han | Tai-Kadai |
| Aiton | ꩭꩫ︀် | han | Tai-Kadai |
| Aklanon | kita' | Austronesian | |
| Ambonese Malay | lia | Austronesian | |
| Aramaic | חזא | ḥaza | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aymara | uñaña | Aymaran | |
| Dalmatian | vedar | Indo-European | |
| Old French | veoir | Indo-European | |
| Gothic | 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽 | saiƕan | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | βλέπω | blépō | Indo-European |
| Kalaallisut | takunnippoq | Eskimo-Aleut | |
| Mbyá Guaraní | exa | Tupian | |
| Hamer-Banna | aapá | South Omotic | |
| Hebrew | רָאָה | ra'ah | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | pom | Hmong-Mien | |
| Old Irish | ad·cí | Indo-European | |
| Javanese | delok | Austronesian | |
| Kawi | dĕlo | Austronesian | |
| Kituba (Democratic Republic of Congo) | mona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| South-Central Koongo | mona | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Malacca-Batavia Portuguese Creole | dá | Indo-European | |
| Latin | video | Indo-European | |
| Low German | kieken | Indo-European | |
| Lautu | hmung | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Moselle Franconian | gesinn | Indo-European | |
| Malay | lihat | Austronesian | |
| Mongo | ena | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Khiamniungan Naga | ēp | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Classical Nahuatl | itta | Uto-Aztecan | |
| Old Provençal | veder | Indo-European | |
| San Francisco Bay Ohlone | atemhimah | Miwok-Costanoan | |
| Ojibwa | waabam | Algic | |
| Church Slavic | видѣти | viděti | Indo-European |
| Old English | ġesēon | Indo-European | |
| Old Saxon | sehan | Indo-European | |
| Oromo | ilaaluu | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Iron Ossetian | уынын | wynyn | Indo-European |
| Eastern Panjabi | ਵੇਖਣਾ | vekhṇā | Indo-European |
| Campidanese Sardinian | biri | Indo-European | |
| Sundanese | tingali | Austronesian | |
| Tagalog | makita | Austronesian | |
| Tokharian A | läk- | Indo-European | |
| Tokharian B | läk- | Indo-European | |
| Ugaritic | 𐎈𐎄𐎊 | ḥdy | Afro-Asiatic |
| Wolof | gis | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Yámana | tiki | Isolates | |
| Yiddish | זען | zen | Indo-European |
| Yurok | new | Algic | |
| Dimli | dîyayîş | Indo-European | |
| Zyphe | hmuh | Sino-Tibetan | |
| East Taa | ǀnâã | Tuu |