What it means
نگاه کردن (negâh kardan) means to look at something or to watch it. The noun نگاه (negâh) is a pure Persian word for a gaze, a glance, or a look, and combining it with کردن produces the action. You use it when watching TV, looking at someone, or simply casting your eyes somewhere. A common synonym is دیدن (didan), which means to see, but نگاه کردن emphasizes the deliberate act of directing your gaze, while دیدن focuses on the result of perception.
How to use it
- به من نگاه کن. (be man negâh kon.) “Look at me.”
- داری چی نگاه میکنی؟ (dâri chi negâh mikoni?) “What are you watching?”
- نگاه نکن، زشته. (negâh nakan, zeshte.) “Don’t look, it’s rude.”
- یه نگاه به این عکس بنداز. (ye negâh be in aks bendâz.) “Take a look at this photo.”
Cultural note
In Persian conversation, نگاه carries emotional weight beyond simply looking. نگاهت (negâhat), meaning your gaze, can be a compliment in poetry and song lyrics, suggesting that the way someone looks at you communicates feeling. The command نگاه کن (negâh kon) is one of the most common phrases children hear at home and students hear in class. Avoiding someone’s gaze, on the other hand, can signal respect or discomfort depending on context, and this social layer makes the word appear often in discussions of body language and etiquette.