देखना
dekhnā
/ˈd̪eːkʰ.nɑː/
Definition
To see or look at something; to watch or observe. It is one of the most common verbs in Hindi.
Example
वह हर रात आसमान देखता है।
Show translation
He looks at the sky every night.
Etymology
From Sanskrit **दृश्** (*dṛś*), meaning "to see" — the same root that gives us Sanskrit *darśana* (vision, philosophical insight) and the English loanword *drishti*. The Hindi infinitive suffix *-nā* was added through Prakritic evolution.
Cultural note
देखना carries rich idiomatic weight in Hindi. The phrase **देखते हैं** ("we'll see / let's see") is an extremely common, culturally characteristic way to express cautious optimism or deliberate non-commitment — equivalent to "we'll see how it goes." It frequently appears in Bollywood dialogue and everyday conversation alike. Note the false friend trap: English learners sometimes confuse देखना (to look/see) with सुनना (to listen/hear) — Hindi, like many languages, keeps seeing and hearing in strictly separate verbs.