Körülnézni

Körülnézni is a Hungarian verb meaning to look around or to survey one’s surroundings. The action involves turning one’s gaze to observe the nearby space or environment, often to get oriented, assess a situation, or simply take in what is around.

Etymology and forms: the verb is built from körül, meaning around, with nézni, to look. In standard usage, körbenézni is the common form for “to look around.” Körülnézni is a variant that appears in some dialects or older texts and is far less common in contemporary Hungarian. Like other nézni- verbs, körbenézni and its variants are conjugated as regular verbs, with prefixes modifying the stem rather than creating a separate lexical item.

Usage and nuances: körbenézni is used for literal looking around a location—such as a room, street, or area—and for figurative senses like surveying a situation. It is frequently employed to describe a quick scan of one’s surroundings before acting, or to indicate gathering information by sight. The synonymous expression körbenéz, or, depending on form, körbenézve, may be preferred in some contexts.

Examples:

- A turista körbenézett a piacon.

- Belépve körbenézek a szobában, hogy lássam, van-e már valaki.

- Körülnéztem a környéken, de nem történt semmi különös.

Related terms: körbenézni is often compared to körbenéz, a closely related form. Both convey the act of looking around, with körbenézni serving as the more standard infinitive in modern Hungarian. For precise conjugations and regional variants, consulting a Hungarian grammar is recommended.