This lesson focuses on how the French verb voir (to see) is used in real sentences, with clear examples. For full conjugations, see my other lesson:
👉 Voir conjugation charts (with audio) »
Level A1-A2 (Beginner – Upper Beginner)
Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is voir, a highly useful irregular verb meaning “to see.” It appears in countless everyday expressions, from je vais voir (I’ll go check) to tu vois ce que je veux dire (do you see what I mean?) and voir la vie en rose (to see life through rose-colored glasses). Listen to Marie’s audio examples and start using voir naturally in conversation.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
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📘 Voir meaning in French
Voir means “to see” in French. It is a common irregular verb used to talk about physical sight, understanding, and perception. In everyday French, voir can mean to literally see something (Je vois la tour Eiffel d’ici — I can see the Eiffel Tower from here), to understand an idea (Je vois ce que tu veux dire — I see what you mean), or to check or find out something (Je vais voir — I’ll go check).
When used in expressions like Puis-je voir ?, it often means May I see? or Can I take a look?, depending on context. Learners also often confuse voir and regarder: Voir refers to seeing or noticing, while regarder means to watch or look at something intentionally.
🎧 Voir pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of voir is /vwaʁ/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “vwahr.”
📝 Voir examples & usage
Aujourd’hui, je vais voir la tour Eiffel avec mes amis.
Today, I am going to see the Eiffel Tower with my friends.
Tu vois ce que je veux dire quand je parle de ce sujet ?
Do you see what I mean when I talk about this subject?
Elle ne voit pas bien la nuit, alors elle évite de conduire tard.
She doesn’t see well at night, so he avoids driving late.
Hier, nous avons vu un très bon film français au cinéma.
Yesterday, we saw a very good French film at the movie theater.
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- voir la vie en rose — to see life through rose-colored glasses
- voir rouge — to see red, lose one’s temper
- voir le jour — to come into being, be created
- aller voir — to go and see, check out
- se voir — to see each other / to imagine oneself
- on verra — we’ll see
- voir de ses propres yeux — to see with one’s own eyes
- à voir — we’ll see, to be decided
- faire voir — to show, make visible
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 Voir conjugation charts (with audio) »
👉 Passé composé explained »
👉 French verb tenses overview »
👉 Avoir — French verb conjugation (with audio)
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❓ Voir — Common Questions
What does the French verb voir mean?
Voir means “to see” in French and is used to talk about physical sight, understanding, or noticing something.
What’s the difference between voir and regarder?
Voir means to see or notice something naturally, while regarder means to actively look at or watch something.
What does “je peux voir” mean in French?
Je peux voir usually means “can I see?” or “may I take a look?”, depending on the situation.
