The Spanish verbs ver (to see) and mirar (to look at) are similar in meaning but have distinct uses sometimes, just like English. When it comes to la tele (TV), however, both verbs are commonly used and accepted as the verb “to watch.” So, you won’t need to worry about getting confused between these Spanish verbs when talking about watching television.
Watching TV in Spanish is a great way to immerse yourself in the new language. Turn on the subtítulos (subtitles) and pay attention to familiar vocabulary while you subconsciously pick up on the common patterns and structures of the language. Discussing TV show recommendations is also a great basic Spanish conversation starter when meeting new friends.
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How to say ‘watching TV’ in Spanish
La tele is short for la televisión (television), and the initials TV can also be used, pronounced “teh-BEH.” When discussing this relaxing activity in general terms, you can say “to watch TV” in two different ways:
- ver la tele
- mirar la tele
When you want to say “watching TV” in Spanish, you might need to use either the infinitive or progressive form of the verb depending on what you mean. The infinitive forms ver/mirar may translate to “watching” if you’re discussing likes and dislikes.
- Me gusta ver la tele. = I like watching (to watch) TV.
- No me gusta mucho mirar la tele. = I don’t really like watching (to watch) TV.
If you’re talking about watching TV in Spanish as an action happening right now, you would use the present progressive of the verb. Start with the estar (to be) conjugation that matches the subject, and finish with mirando or viendo for the form “watching.”
- Mis hermanos están mirando la tele. = My brothers are watching TV.
- Estoy viendo televisión. = I’m watching TV.
What’s the difference between ver and mirar?
Both verbs have a lot to do with la vista (sight/vision), but they are used in distinct ways. Compare how ver and mirar are used in these examples.
Ver (to see)
Ver (to see) means the ability to see, or perceive with one’s eyes.
- Puedes ver las montañas a lo lejos. = You can see the mountains off in the distance.
- No veo nada sin mis anteojos. = I don’t see anything without my glasses.
- Veo que estás ocupadísima. No te voy a molestar. = I see that you’re really busy. I’m not going to bother you.
- Nunca vemos el final de esta película porque nos dormimos. = We never see the end of this movie because we fall asleep.
Ver is one of the more common irregular verbs in Spanish in most tenses, so you’ll have to learn the forms separately, but it’s a common verb that you’ll see often, making it easier to notice the forms.
ver (to see/to watch) – present tense
| yo veo | I watch/see | nosotros vemos | we watch/see |
| tú ves | you watch/see (informal) | vosotros veis | you watch/see (informal, plural – Spain only) |
| él/ella ve |
he/she watches/sees |
ellos/ellas ven | they watch/see |
| usted ve | you watch/see (formal) | ustedes ven | you watch/see (plural) |
Mirar (to look at)
Mirar (to look at) implies an effort to direct your gaze at a particular thing.
- ¡Mira el arco-iris! = Look at the rainbow!
- Miro las páginas, pero en realidad no estoy leyendo. = I look at the pages, but I’m not really reading.
- ¿Puedes mirarme mientras hablo, por favor? = Can you look at me while I speak, please?
- Miramos a la izquierda y a la derecha antes de cruzar la calle. = We look to the left and to the right before crossing the street.
Mirar is a regular -AR verb in Spanish. It follows all of the patterns of other regular -AR verbs, so it’s a top choice when you’re learning to conjugate verbs. Start with the present tense and add other Spanish verb tenses as you gain confidence.
mirar (to look at/to watch) – present tense
| yo miro | I watch/look at | nosotros miramos | we watch/look at |
| tú miras | you watch/look at (informal) | vosotros miráis | you watch/look at (informal, plural – Spain only) |
| él/ella mira | he/she watches/looks at | ellos/ellas miran | they watch/look at |
| usted mira | you watch/look at (formal) | ustedes miran | you watch/look at (plural) |
Should you use ver or mirar for watching TV or movies?
Spanish speakers will usually have a preference for one verb or the other when they’re discussing watching TV in Spanish. The Real Academia Española has weighed in and declared both verbs are valid to say “watch television.”
Whether you’re at home curled up on the couch with a friend deciding which of the best TV shows in Spanish you should watch or you’re making plans to go out to the cine (movie theater), you can use either of these verbs to discuss your plans.
- ¿Qué haces? = What are you doing?
- Estoy viendo la télé. = I’m watching TV.
- ¿Qué estás mirando? = What are you watching?
- Miramos un programa de cocina que nos gusta mucho. = We’re watching a cooking show that we like a lot.
- No veo mucha televisión, pero cuando lo hago, me gusta ver documentales. = I don’t watch a lot of TV, but when I do, I like to watch documentaries.
- A mí no, prefiero mirar películas de ciencia ficción. = Not me, I prefer watching science-fiction movies.
- ¿Quieres ver una película esta noche? = Do you want to see a movie tonight?
- Sí, esa nueva tiene buena pinta. No la he visto. = Yes, that new one looks good. I haven’t seen it.
Key takeaways for how to say ‘watching TV’ in Spanish
Watching TV is a popular pastime, one that you’ll find yourself talking about often with others. Besides being relaxing, watching TV can boost your Spanish comprehension of phrases that you’ve learned through Rosetta Stone’s proven method.
- To say “to watch TV” in Spanish you can say either ver la tele or mirar la tele.
- Estoy viendo la tele/Estoy mirando la tele means that you’re watching TV right now, in the present progressive tense.
- Both mirar (to look at) and ver (to see) are helpful verbs for lots of other situations in Spanish.
- Turn on the subtítulos or Spanish audio to make the most of your TV viewing time.
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