guardare
Lemma: guardare
Translation: to look; to watch; to observe; to guard; to take care of (verb)
Etymology: From Latin 'guardāre', which derives from Germanic *wardōn (to guard, watch over). This shares the same Germanic root as English 'ward', 'warden', and 'guard'. The semantic evolution shows how the concept of 'watching over something to protect it' shifted to include the more general sense of 'looking at' in Italian.
Example Usage
Guardo la televisione ogni sera.
I watch television every evening.
Mi guarda sempre con un sorriso.
He always looks at me with a smile.
Puoi guardare il mio cane mentre sono via?
Can you look after my dog while I'm away?
Guarda! C'è una stella cadente!
Look! There's a shooting star!
Non guardare indietro, guarda avanti.
Don't look back, look forward.
Guarda! C'è un uccello sul tetto.
Look! There's a bird on the roof.
Mi puoi guardare il cane mentre sono via?
Can you look after my dog while I'm away?
Guardati intorno prima di attraversare la strada.
Look around before crossing the street.
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'guard' who needs to 'look' and 'watch' to protect something.
- The 'guar-' in 'guardare' sounds like the English word 'guard', which involves watching over something.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
A very common verb in Italian daily conversation. The imperative form 'guarda!' is often used as an interjection to draw attention to something, similar to 'look!' in English. It can also be used figuratively to mean 'consider' or 'think about'.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'guardare' means 'to look' or 'to watch' (an active, intentional action), 'vedere' means 'to see' (which can be passive or unintentional).
Notes: In many contexts, the distinction is similar to the English 'look' vs. 'see'.
Mnemonic: 'Guardare' is active like a guard on duty, while 'vedere' is passive like receiving visual information.
Explanation: 'Guardare' means 'to look/watch' while 'guidare' means 'to drive/guide'. They look and sound similar but have different meanings.
Confused word:
Guido la macchina con attenzione.
I drive the car carefully.
Notes: Both verbs are regular -are verbs with similar conjugation patterns.
Mnemonic: 'Guidare' has an 'i' like in 'drive', while 'guardare' has an 'a' like in 'watch'.