to see through / to look through
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to see through
To understand and grasp a complex situation, a plan, or a person's intentions. You recognize what something is really like. (Verb is inseparable)
Ich habe seine Lügen und Ausreden sofort durchblickt.
I immediately saw through his lies and excuses.
to look through
To look through an opening, a gap, or between things. (Verb is separable)
Sie blickte vorsichtig durch den Türspalt, um zu sehen, wer gekommen war.
She carefully looked through the crack in the door to see who had arrived.
to let on
To reveal something (an opinion, an intention, a feeling) indirectly or unintentionally.
In seiner Rede ließ der Minister durchblicken, dass Steuererhöhungen bevorstehen.
In his speech, the minister let on that tax increases were coming.
This verb changes its meaning depending on whether it is separable or inseparable. Inseparable, it means 'etwas verstehen' (to understand something) in a figurative sense. Separable, it means 'durch etwas hindurchsehen' (to look through something) in a literal sense.
Ich durchschaue seinen Plan sofort. (untrennbar = verstehen)
I see through his plan immediately. (inseparable = understand)
The stress helps distinguish the meanings. In the separable, literal meaning, the prefix is stressed: 'DURCHblicken'. In the inseparable, figurative meaning, the verb stem is stressed: 'durchBLICKEN'.
Kannst du da durchblicken? (Betonung auf „durch“)
Can you see through there? (stress on 'durch')
In the inseparable meaning 'verstehen' (to understand), the verb is used with abstract nouns in the accusative. Typical objects are 'den Plan' (the plan), 'die Situation' (the situation), 'das System' (the system), or 'seine Absichten' (his intentions).
Nach einer Weile habe ich das System durchblickt.
After a while, I saw through the system.
In the literal meaning, the verb is separable. In a main clause, the prefix 'durch' goes at the end of the sentence. It is often combined with a prepositional phrase such as 'durch etwas (hindurch)' (through something).
Er blickte neugierig durch das Schlüsselloch durch.
He looked curiously through the keyhole.
The expression 'etwas durchblicken lassen' (to let something show / to let on) is a fixed structure. It means that someone hints at information or a feeling. The person hinting at something is the subject of the sentence.
Sie ließ durchblicken, dass sie mit der Entscheidung nicht einverstanden war.
She let on that she did not agree with the decision.
to understand
Both words can mean grasping the meaning of a complicated topic. Verstehen is neutral and general. Durchblicken is more colloquial and emphasizes recognizing how things are connected after initially being unclear.
Nach mehreren Beispielen blicke ich endlich durch, wie das neue System funktioniert.
After several examples, I finally see how the new system works.
Nach der Erklärung verstehe ich, wie das neue System funktioniert.
After the explanation, I understand how the new system works.
