Arabic word sheet
نَظَرَ
To look at
- Type
- verb
- Root
- ن ظ ر
Meaning and usage
To look at
To turn one's eyes towards a person or thing in order to see it. This is the most common use, usually with the word meaning "towards".
نَظَرَ سَامِي إِلَى السَّاعَةِ
Sami looked at the clock.
To look into, to consider
To look at a matter with the mind: to study it and think it over in order to understand or decide. Said of an affair, a piece of writing, a request.
نَظَرَ الْمُدِيرُ فِي الطَّلَبِ
The manager looked into the request.
To wait for (older use)
In the classical language, followed directly by the person or thing: to watch for its coming, to wait for it.
نَظَرَتْ لَيْلَى صَدِيقَتَهَا عِنْدَ الْبَابِ
Layla waited for her friend by the door.
To face, to look onto
By a figure of speech, said of a place or thing turned towards another: a house, a window or a mountain that stands opposite.
تَنْظُرُ نَافِذَةُ الْغُرْفَةِ إِلَى الْحَدِيقَةِ
The window of the room looks onto the garden.
Word family
What the root means ن ظ ر
The root carries the idea of turning one's gaze towards a thing, with the eyes and then with the mind. From it come the words for a look, a view, waiting, a counterpart and the joint examination of a question.
sight, looking; consideration
نَظَرٌ
a look, a glance
نَظْرَةٌ
view, sight
مَنْظَرٌ
counterpart, equal
نَظِيرٌ
to wait for
اِنْتَظَرَ
joint examination of a question, debate
مُنَاظَرَةٌ
Synonyms
to contemplate, to observe closely
تَأَمَّلَ
Narrower: it means looking long and attentively, whereas the headword also covers a mere glance.
to reflect, to ponder
It concerns thought only: it matches just the use in which the headword means examining with the mind.
to watch for, to await
اِرْتَقَبَ
It matches only the sense of waiting, with the idea of watching for what is to come.