Betrachten

Betrachten is a German verb meaning to look at, to regard, or to contemplate, and also to consider something in terms of interpretation or evaluation. It covers both literal looking and more abstract forms of viewing or assessing a matter. In use, it often implies a deliberate or careful examination rather than a quick glance.

Usage examples illustrate its range. Ich betrachte das Gemälde aufmerksam. (I look at the painting carefully.) Wir sollten die Situation genauer betrachten. (We should examine the situation more closely.) Er betrachtete die Frage kritisch. (He regarded the question critically.)

The verb forms include ich betrachte, du betrachtest, er betrachtet, and the past participle betrachtet. The present participle is betrachtend. In many contexts, betrachen carries a sense of analytical or evaluative looking, rather than mere seeing.

Related nouns include Betrachtung, meaning contemplation or consideration as an act or process; Betrachter, meaning viewer or observer; and Betrachtungsweise, meaning a perspective or method of considering something. A closely related but distinct verb is beachten, which more specifically means to pay attention to or to notice.

In English, Betrachten is most commonly translated as to look at or to regard, with nuances of contemplating or examining a matter. It contrasts with be- verbs like beachten (to notice or heed) and beobachten (to observe over time). The term remains common in academic, artistic, and everyday German when describing close inspection or careful interpretation.