néz

Néz is a Hungarian verb meaning to look, to watch, or to gaze. It denotes directing one’s sight toward something or observing it. The base infinitive form is nézni, and the third-person singular present indicative form is néz. Other present-tense forms follow regular Hungarian conjugation for this verb: én nézek, te nézel, ő néz, mi nézünk, ti néztek, ők néznek. The verb is highly common in everyday speech and appears in many idiomatic expressions.

In use, néz can take direct objects when specifying what is being looked at, but it is often used without an object when the act of looking is the focus. For example: ő tévét néz meaning “he watches TV,” or “she looks at the sky” could be ő az égre néz. Hungarian also employs various prefixed forms with related meanings: rá néz means to glance at someone or something; megnéz means to take a look at or check, as in megnézi a programot.

Other related forms include the plural and imperative moods. The imperative form is Nézz! for the second-person singular, meaning “look!” or “look up.” The noun nézés or the noun nézet can denote the act or act of looking, a gaze, or a view, depending on the context.

Etymologically, néz derives from nézni, the common Hungarian verb for looking, with no widely attested cognates outside Hungarian in standard reference sources. The word and its derivatives are integral to everyday communication in Hungarian, spanning literal looking, watching media, and various figurative uses.