Rigardi is the regular transitive verb for directing one's eyes or visual attention toward something: “look at,” “watch,” or “view.” Its object takes accusative -n with no equivalent of English “at.” The key contrast is intentional rigardi versus perceptual vidi “see.”
Complete regular paradigm
| Form | Function | Typical translation |
|---|---|---|
| rigardi | infinitive | to look at, to watch |
| rigardas | present indicative | look(s) at, watch(es) |
| rigardis | past indicative | looked at, watched |
| rigardos | future indicative | will look at, will watch |
| rigardus | conditional | would look at, would watch |
| rigardu | volitive | look!, watch!, let ... look |
The stem rigard- remains constant, and the finite form never agrees with person or number: mi rigardas, ŝi rigardas, ili rigardas.
Mi rigardas la veterprognozon antaŭ ol mi biciklas al la laborejo.
I check the weather forecast before cycling to work.
Ĉu vi rigardus mian skizon kaj dirus, ĉu la proporcioj aspektas ĝustaj?
Would you look at my sketch and tell me whether the proportions look right?
Rigardu la supran dekstran angulon de la ekrano.
Look at the upper-right corner of the screen.
The translation “check” in the first example is contextual: visual inspection is the mechanism. Esperanto can use kontroli when verification itself, rather than looking, is central.
A direct object, not an al-phrase
The person or thing receiving visual attention is a direct object and takes -n.
La infano longe rigardis la fiŝojn en la akvario.
The child watched the fish in the aquarium for a long time.
Ne rigardu vian telefonon dum vi transiras la straton.
Don't look at your phone while crossing the street.
English inserts “at,” but Esperanto says rigardi iun/ion, not rigardi al iu/io. The object may be a person, scene, picture, screen, event, or extended presentation.
— Kion vi rigardas? — Dokumentan filmon pri la Balta Maro.
— What are you watching? — A documentary about the Baltic Sea.
In the elliptical answer, dokumentan filmon keeps the accusative required by the understood mi rigardas.
Other prepositional phrases can accompany the object without replacing it. They name the viewpoint, route of vision, or instrument:
Ni rigardis la fulmotondron tra la fermita fenestro.
We watched the thunderstorm through the closed window.
Ŝi rigardis la birdojn per binoklo de la balkono.
She watched the birds through binoculars from the balcony.
Rigardi versus vidi
Rigardi profiles directed attention; vidi profiles successful visual perception. Looking does not guarantee noticing, and seeing does not require deliberate looking.
Mi rigardis rekte la ŝildon, sed sen miaj okulvitroj mi ne vidis la etajn literojn.
I looked directly at the sign, but without my glasses I couldn't see the small letters.
Kiam mi ekrigardis tra la fenestro, mi vidis cervon ĉe la rando de la arbaro.
When I looked out through the window, I saw a deer at the edge of the forest.
English sometimes uses “look” merely to draw attention: “Look, we have a problem.” Esperanto can use rigardu if an actual or figurative inspection is invited, but vidu, jen, or a direct statement may fit better depending on the intended meaning.
Rigardu, la buso jam venas — ni iru al la haltejo.
Look, the bus is already coming—let's go to the stop.
Watching films, television, and performances
Rigardi filmon, rigardi televidon, and rigardi matĉon are well-attested and neutral. Spekti overlaps when someone attends to a presented event or spectacle, often combining sight and hearing.
Ni rigardis la finalon hejme, ĉar ĉiuj biletoj por la stadiono estis venditaj.
We watched the final at home because all the stadium tickets had been sold.
Pli ol mil homoj spektis la koncerton en la placo.
More than a thousand people watched the concert in the square.
There is no absolute rule that screens require rigardi and live events require spekti. Both can be natural for a film or match; rigardi foregrounds visual attention, while spekti foregrounds following a performance or spectacle. This is accepted lexical variation, not a grammatical difference.
For sustained systematic attention, observi may be more precise: a scientist observas behavior, and a guard observas an entrance. Ordinary viewing remains rigardi.
Looking in a direction
Directional elements often form compounds or complements. Suprenrigardi and malsuprenrigardi indicate the direction of the gaze; ĉirkaŭrigardi means look around. A destination can also appear in a local phrase.
Li rigardis en la spegulon kaj rimarkis farbomakulon sur sia vango.
He looked in the mirror and noticed a paint mark on his cheek.
En la spegulon uses directional -n because the gaze is directed into the mirror. The mirror is not the direct object here; the phrase describes direction. By contrast, li rigardis la spegulon means he looked at or examined the mirror itself.
When the thing being viewed is expressed as a direct object, the mirror can instead be a static setting: rigardi sin en la spegulo means “look at oneself in the mirror.” The difference between en la spegulo and en la spegulon is therefore a real location-versus-direction contrast, not a mechanical rule attached to rigardi.
Ŝi longe rigardis sin en la spegulo antaŭ ol elekti la bluan ĉapelon.
She looked at herself in the mirror for a long time before choosing the blue hat.
Ni ĉirkaŭrigardis la salonon, sed ne trovis liberan seĝon.
We looked around the hall but did not find a free seat.
Productive derivatives and compounds
- ekrigardi — begin to look, cast a look, glance;
- trarigardi — look through, review from beginning to end;
- rerigardi — look at or watch again; look back;
- ĉirkaŭrigardi — look around;
- suprenrigardi / malsuprenrigardi — look up / down;
- rigardanto — viewer, onlooker;
- rigardinda — worth seeing.
Bonvolu trarigardi la kontrakton antaŭ ol vi subskribos ĝin.
Please look through the contract before you sign it.
Mi rerigardis la scenon kaj nur tiam rimarkis la kaŝitan ŝlosilon.
I watched the scene again and only then noticed the hidden key.
The prefixes contribute their normal meanings: ek- onset, tra- movement through the whole, re- repetition or return. Nevertheless, collocations are conventional; trarigardi dokumenton is established, while an invented compound may not be the clearest choice merely because its pieces are grammatical.
Participles and passive voice
| Time relation | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| ongoing | rigardanta — looking, watching | rigardata — being watched |
| earlier/completed | rigardinta — having watched | rigardita — watched, viewed |
| later/intended | rigardonta — about to watch | rigardota — to be watched |
La rekta elsendo estis rigardata de miloj da homoj en pluraj landoj.
The live broadcast was watched by thousands of people in several countries.
Rigardinte la du versiojn, la redaktoro elektis la pli mallongan.
Having viewed both versions, the editor chose the shorter one.
Simple rigardis is normally best for an ordinary past active event. Participles are useful when voice, an ongoing viewpoint, or relative time matters.
Frequency, register, and status
Rigardi is frequent and neutral in informal speech, journalism, entertainment, and (formal) instructions. Foundational norm: the root, regular endings, and direct-object pattern are Fundamental. Accepted variation: rigardi and spekti overlap for presented events, and word order may shift for emphasis. Pedagogical recommendation: use rigardi for deliberate visual attention and vidi for achieved perception. Attested usage: Tekstaro contains direct objects with people, projects, television, texts, and scenes, as well as established compounds such as trarigardi.
See Vidi: To See for the perception side of the contrast.
Common Mistakes
Copying English “look at” with a preposition
❌ Rigardu al tiu ruĝa butono.
Incorrect — the focus of visual attention is a direct object.
✅ Rigardu tiun ruĝan butonon.
Look at that red button.
Omitting the object ending
❌ Ni rigardis interesa dokumenta filmo hieraŭ.
Incorrect — the film watched is the direct object.
✅ Ni rigardis interesan dokumentan filmon hieraŭ.
We watched an interesting documentary yesterday.
Using vidi for an instruction to direct the eyes
❌ Vidu la fotilon dum mi faras la portreton.
Incorrect for the intended instruction to look toward the camera.
✅ Rigardu la fotilon dum mi faras la portreton.
Look at the camera while I take the portrait.
Adding accusative marking after tra
❌ Ni rigardis la straton tra la fenestron.
Incorrect here — the window is a static viewing route, not a destination or path of motion, so it does not take -n.
✅ Ni rigardis la straton tra la fenestro.
We watched the street through the window.
Key Takeaways
- Rigardi is fully regular and takes its visual focus as a direct object without al.
- It names directed attention; vidi names successful perception.
- Rigardi and spekti overlap for films, broadcasts, matches, and performances.
- Compounds such as ekrigardi, trarigardi, and ĉirkaŭrigardi add predictable viewpoint meanings.
Now practice Esperanto
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Esperanto →Related Topics
- Direct ObjectsA1 — Learn which Esperanto verb complements are direct objects, how -n marks them, and how object marking remains stable when word order changes.
- Vidi: To SeeA2 — Use vidi with perception objects, object-plus-infinitive patterns, and ke-clauses, and distinguish seeing from deliberate looking.
- Aŭskulti: To ListenB1 — Use aŭskulti with a direct object, distinguish intentional listening from hearing, and master its regular forms and productive derivatives.
- Transitive and Intransitive VerbsA2 — Learn which verbs license a direct object, which require another construction, and how Esperanto systematically changes valency.
- ek-: Inchoative Or Sudden OnsetA2 — Use ek- to focus on the first moment of an action or package a brief sudden event.
- re-: ReturnA2 — Use re- with actions to express return to an earlier place or state, restoration, response, and repetition.