ver
to see
To see something — physically, mentally, or figuratively
Encoding Strategies:
mnemonic
repetition
verify
to see for oneself
+
-er
verb suffix
Ver means to see and sounds like the English word verify0, since when you verify something, you see for yourself0 that it's true.
ver
to see, to watch, to look at
The core sense: to see something with your eyes.
- ¿Viste la película anoche? = Did you see the movie last night?
- Me gusta ver el partido los domingos = I like to watch the game on Sundays
to see, to understand (mentally)
Just like in English, "seeing" extends to the mind — when you see what someone means, you understand it.
- ¿Ves lo que te digo? = Do you see what I'm saying?
- No veo por qué tenemos que irnos = I don't understand why we have to leave
to see, to check (to check on)
To see whether something is the case — checking or verifying.
- Voy a ver si hay leche en la nevera = I'm going to check if there's milk in the fridge
to see, to meet with (a person)
To see a person — visiting, meeting, or spending time with them.
- Voy a ver al médico esta tarde = I'm going to see the doctor this afternoon
- Hace mucho que no veo a mis amigos = I haven't seen my friends in a long time
to see, to witness, to live through (events)
To see events unfold over time — being witness to them.
- Este país ha visto muchos cambios = This country has witnessed many changes
you can tell, it's clear, it's obvious (impersonal)
The impersonal passive se applied to ver: something is seen to be the case, i.e. it's evident.
- Se ve que está cansado = You can tell he's tired
- Se ve que van a ganar = It's clear they're going to win
verse
to look, to appear
Like English "to look" ("you look great"), this isn't about actively seeing anything — it's about how you appear. The reflexive te/se signals that the appearance radiates outward from the subject themselves.
- Te ves muy bien con ese vestido = You look great in that dress
to find oneself, to be
To see yourself in a situation — meaning you find yourself in it.
- Se vio rodeado de enemigos = He found himself surrounded by enemies
to see each other, to meet up
The reciprocal sense — two people seeing each other.
- Nos vemos mañana = We'll see each other tomorrow
- ¿Cuándo nos vemos? = When are we meeting up?