mirar
to look
To direct one's gaze towards something or watch something carefully
Encoding Strategies:
linguistic
mirror
mirror
+
-ar
verb suffix
Mirar means to look and turns the English word mirror0 into a verb1, since you look at yourself in a mirror.
mirar
to look (at), to watch, to observe
To direct your gaze toward something or to watch something for an extended period of time.
- Mira esa estrella tan brillante = Look at that bright star
- Nos sentamos a mirar la televisión = We sat down to watch television
to watch, to pay attention to, to be careful about, to make sure
When you watch something closely, you're being careful or making sure that it goes right.
- Mira bien cómo gastas el dinero = Be careful about how you spend your money
- ¡Mira por dónde caminas! = Watch where you're walking!
to face, to be oriented towards, to overlook
Just as you can look towards something, someone or something can face or be oriented towards what is directly in front of it.
- El balcón mira al mar = The balcony overlooks the sea
- La entrada del edificio mira al norte = The building entrance faces north
mirarse
to look at oneself
When you direct your gaze at yourself, you're looking at your own reflection.
- Se miró en el espejo antes de salir = She looked at herself in the mirror before leaving
- Se miró las manos con asombro = He looked at his own hands in amazement
to look at each other
When multiple people direct their gaze towards themselves, it's reciprocal and better phrased as looking at each other.
- Se miraron en silencio por un momento = They looked at each other in silence for a moment
- Los dos se miraron y sonrieron = The two looked at each other and smiled