to perceive
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to perceive
An elevated and increasingly old-fashioned term for suddenly seeing, noticing, or perceiving something or someone.
Als er sich umdrehte, gewahrte er eine Gestalt, die im Schatten der Bäume stand.
When he turned around, he perceived a figure standing in the shadow of the trees.
This verb is very elevated and literary. You find it almost exclusively in novels or poetic texts, but not in everyday speech.
In der Dämmerung gewahrte sie eine Bewegung am Waldrand.
In the twilight, she perceived a movement at the edge of the forest.
'Gewahren' (to perceive) is related to 'wahr' (true) and 'wahrnehmen' (to perceive). It describes the moment when you become visually aware of something or recognize it as 'wahr' (true) to your own senses.
Plötzlich nahm er einen seltsamen Geruch wahr.
Suddenly he perceived a strange smell.
The verb 'gewahren' (to perceive) is always used with an accusative object. You perceive someone or something.
Erst nach einigen Sekunden gewahrte er den kleinen Vogel im Baum.
Only after a few seconds did he perceive the little bird in the tree.
to see
'sehen' and 'gewahren' can both mean that you perceive something with your eyes. 'sehen' is the normal everyday word and fits almost everywhere. 'gewahren' sounds elevated, old-fashioned, and often literary. It tends to emphasize that you suddenly notice or discover something. In normal conversation, you almost always say 'sehen'. 'gewahren' fits better in texts, stories, or very formal language.
Im dunklen Flur gewahrte sie plötzlich eine Gestalt.
In the dark hallway, she suddenly perceived a figure.
Vom Fenster aus sehe ich den Bus an der Haltestelle.
From the window, I see the bus at the stop.