Bekijk

Bekijken is a Dutch verb meaning to view, examine, inspect, or watch. It is used for deliberate or focused viewing of content such as films, photos, documents, or data. The term often carries a sense of evaluation or careful consideration, unlike the more general or casual act of kijken, which can be a quick glance or passively watching.

Grammatical notes: In the present tense, the forms are ik bekijk, jij bekijkt, hij bekijkt, wij bekijken, jullie bekijken, zij bekijken. The past tense is ik bekeek, jij bekeek, hij bekeek, and the perfect is hebben bekeken. The imperative form is bekijk, used to tell someone to view or examine something (for example, Bekijk dit document eens). Bekijken normally takes a direct object: de film bekijken, de website bekijken, de cijfers bekijken. With the sense of a simple glance, one can use kijken naar: naar iets kijken, maar bekijken emphasizes a more thorough or evaluative viewing.

Usage notes and nuances: Bekijken can refer to watching media or inspecting items in a sequential or evaluative way. It is common in media, education, and professional contexts. Distinguishing from beschouwen or aanzien, which imply considering or regarding something more conceptually, bekijken focuses on the act of viewing itself or inspecting content.

Etymology and related terms: Bekijken is formed from be- plus kijken (to look). It is closely related to kijke and resembles similar formations in Dutch and in cognate languages. In Flemish Dutch, the usage and meaning are largely parallel.