01
gucken
to look
A colloquial expression for 'schauen' (to look) or 'sehen' (to see); to consciously direct your eyes toward something in order to perceive it.
example
Guck mal, da fliegt ein seltener Vogel!
Look, there’s a rare bird flying!
gucken
to look / watch
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Register: colloquial speech
'Gucken' (to look/watch) is a colloquial word. In formal situations, emails, or official texts, you should use 'schauen' (to look) or 'sehen' (to see) instead.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mal gucken, ob die Post schon da ist?
Can you check whether the mail is here yet?
Regional use
The verb 'gucken' (to look/watch) is especially common in northern and central Germany. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, 'schauen' (to look) is used more often, even in colloquial speech.
EXAMPLE
In Berlin hört man oft: „Kiek ma!“ (Guck mal!).
In Berlin, you often hear: 'Kiek ma!' ('Guck mal!' = Look!).
Typical collocations
When it comes to media consumption, 'gucken' (to watch) is often connected directly with the medium. Typical expressions are 'Fernsehen gucken' (to watch TV), 'einen Film gucken' (to watch a movie), or 'eine Serie gucken' (to watch a series).
EXAMPLE
Lass uns am Wochenende alle Folgen der neuen Serie gucken.
Let’s watch all the episodes of the new series this weekend.
Describing facial expressions
To describe a facial expression, 'gucken' (to look) is combined with an adjective or adverb. Common examples are 'traurig gucken' (to look sad), 'böse gucken' (to look angry), or 'überrascht gucken' (to look surprised).
EXAMPLE
Guck nicht so skeptisch, es wird schon alles gut gehen!
Don’t look so skeptical; everything will be fine!
Fixed expression
The expression 'mal gucken' (we’ll see) is often used as a stand-alone answer to express that you haven’t decided yet or want to wait and see how the situation develops. It signals non-commitment.
EXAMPLE
„Kommst du morgen mit ins Kino?“ – „Ich weiß noch nicht, mal gucken.“
'Are you coming to the movies tomorrow?' – 'I don’t know yet, we’ll see.'
Compare with
gucken vs sehen
to see
'sehen' and 'gucken' can both mean perceiving something with the eyes or looking at/watching something. The most important difference is style: 'sehen' is neutral and fits almost always, including in more formal situations. 'gucken' is colloquial and sounds natural in conversations with friends or family. For films or television, you can say: 'einen Film sehen' or 'einen Film gucken' (to watch a film). Learners confuse the words because the meaning is often similar. If you are unsure or want to write more formally, 'sehen' is usually the safe choice; 'gucken' fits well in relaxed everyday speech.
gucken
Zu Hause gucken wir heute Abend eine Serie.
At home, we're watching a series tonight.
sehen
Mein Vater sieht heute schlecht, weil seine Brille kaputt ist.
My father cannot see well today because his glasses are broken.
In real life
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