ви́деть vs уви́деть

videt vs uvidet — see vs catch sight of

What it really means

Ви́деть is imperfective and describes seeing as an ongoing state, a repeated experience, or a general ability. It can mean that an object is visible or that someone regularly meets or sees another person: я ви́жу сестру́ ка́ждую неде́лю. It does not by itself mark when the sight began or ended.

Уви́деть is perfective and means to see or catch sight of something as a completed event. It often highlights first discovery, a new result, or a future moment when someone will see something: уви́деть мо́ре после до́лгой доро́ги. The prefix у- here creates a perfective counterpart, not a separate physical direction. Choose видеть for the visual state and увидеть for one bounded sighting.

Examples in natural speech

Я ви́жу ста́нцию отсю́да.
I can see the station from here.
Мы ча́сто ви́димся по вы́ходным.
We often see each other on weekends.
Она уви́дела ра́дужный мост над река́ми.
She caught sight of a rainbow bridge over the rivers.
Завтра ты уви́дишь но́вую вы́ставку.
Tomorrow you will see the new exhibition.
Я не уви́дел авто́бус и оста́лся на оста́новке.
I did not see the bus and stayed at the stop.

Common mistakes

Do not use увидеть merely because English uses “see” in every tense. Use видеть for a continuing or habitual sight and увидеть for a single completed sighting or expected result. Do not confuse увидеть with заметить: увидеть is seeing, while заметить emphasizes noticing.

Memory tip

Ви́деть keeps the picture before your eyes; уви́деть records the moment it comes into view.

Frequently asked questions

Is увидеть only for the future?

No. It is perfective and can refer to a completed past sight, a single present-like command, or a future result.

How do видеть and видеться differ?

Видеть is to see someone or something; видеться is the reciprocal or meeting-like “see each other.”

Is увидеть the same as заметить?

Not quite. Увидеть means to see or catch sight of something; заметить means to notice it and direct attention to it.

Note: This site uses JavaScript for interactive drills, audio playback, and progress tracking. Please enable JavaScript for the full experience.