videti (to see) | Serbian Grammar

Видети covers visual perception, recognizing or realizing something, and—especially with се—seeing or meeting a person. It is a classic context-sensitive verb: the same lexical form can describe an ongoing capacity (видим море) or an achieved perception (видео сам знак). It is therefore neither a simple imperfective nor “the perfective of гледати.”

Principal forms

Form	видети	виђати (repeated encounters)
present	видим, видиш, види, видимо, видите, виде	виђам, виђаш, виђа, виђамо, виђате, виђају
l-participle	видео / видела / видело; видели / виделе / видела	виђао / виђала
imperative	види, видимо, видите	виђај, виђајмо, виђајте
future I, 1st singular	видећу / ја ћу видети	виђаћу / ја ћу виђати
negative present	не видим, не видиш…	не виђам, не виђаш…

The third-person plural is виде, not видеју. The Ekavian masculine l-participle is видео, while standard Ijekavian Serbian has видио; this page consistently uses Ekavian forms.

Без наочара не видим број аутобуса са ове удаљености.

Without my glasses I can't see the bus number from this distance.

Видео сам обавештење тек кад сам пришао вратима.

I saw the notice only when I approached the door. (male speaker)

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Learn видети — видим — виде — видео/видела. The infinitive, third-person plural, and masculine l-participle are all common sites of invented forms.

Direct perception and clitics

The thing or animate being perceived is normally a direct accusative object. No preposition corresponds to English see.

Са терасе видимо реку, али не и други крај града.

From the terrace we can see the river, but not the other side of the city.

Јеси ли видео Јелену на концерту?

Did you see Jelena at the concert? (addressing a male)

Accusative clitics take their ordinary early position. In the perfect, the auxiliary and object clitic form a cluster.

Нисам га видела на улазу, па сам му послала поруку.

I didn't see him at the entrance, so I sent him a message. (female speaker)

Видети да + clause extends perception to inference or realization. An embedded question can name what becomes clear.

Видим да си уморан, па можемо да наставимо сутра.

I can see that you're tired, so we can continue tomorrow. (addressing a male)

Погледаћу мапу да видим где треба да скренемо.

I'll look at the map to see where we need to turn.

English see has equally broad metaphorical uses, but individual idioms do not transfer automatically. “I see” meaning “I understand” is often разумем, though видим is natural when the speaker infers something from evidence.

Why its aspect depends on meaning and context

Serbian reference works classify видети as context-sensitive or biaspectual in relevant senses. A continuing visual capacity or field of perception behaves imperfectively; a newly achieved perception or bounded encounter behaves perfectively.

Из радне собе видим двориште и капију.

From my study I can see the yard and the gate.

Чим је угледала дим, позвала је ватрогасце.

As soon as she caught sight of the smoke, she called the fire department.

The second example uses угледати, a clearly perfective derivative meaning catch sight of. It makes the inception of perception explicit. For intermittent or backgrounded repeated encounters, especially in the past, Serbian often uses imperfective виђати. Bare видети remains possible when the emphasis stays on perception or an established visual situation.

Раније сам га често виђала у библиотеци, али се никада нисмо упознали.

I used to see him often in the library, but we never met. (female speaker)

Other derivatives add their own lexical boundaries: провидети “begin to see through / discern,” предвидети “foresee,” and увидети “realize.” They are not interchangeable perfectives for ordinary vision.

Видети versus гледати

Гледати is directed visual attention—look at or watch. Видети is the resulting perception, available view, or recognition. One can look without managing to see.

Гледам у екран, али због одсјаја не видим шта пише.

I'm looking at the screen, but because of the glare I can't see what it says.

Синоћ смо гледали утакмицу и видели два сјајна гола.

Last night we watched the match and saw two brilliant goals.

The гледати / погледати page treats deliberate looking, checking, and completed viewing in depth. Do not build a false pair гледати — видети merely because English contrasts look and see.

Видети се: meet, see one another, be visible

With a plural or coordinated animate subject, видети се commonly means “see each other” or “meet.” A person met socially can also follow с(а) + instrumental.

Видећемо се испред биоскопа у пола осам.

We'll meet in front of the cinema at seven thirty.

Јуче сам се видела с бившом колегиницом после много година.

Yesterday I met up with a former colleague after many years. (female speaker)

In third-person singular perfect forms with се, the auxiliary је is normally omitted: Она се видела, not она се је видела. This is a clitic-cluster rule, not a missing tense marker.

With an inanimate subject, видети се means “be visible / show.”

Са пута се јасно виде светла на врху брда.

The lights at the top of the hill are clearly visible from the road.

The verb agrees with the visible nominative subject: singular види се кућа, plural виде се светла.

Commands, future meetings, and register

Види! is an ordinary (informal) command meaning “look,” “see,” or “listen/consider this,” depending on context. Видите! is plural or polite. For a specific request to inspect something, погледајте is often more idiomatic.

Види да ли су кључеви остали на столу.

See whether the keys were left on the table. (informal)

Because perception видети can be context-sensitive, a present form can refer to a future encounter in a time clause. The widespread farewell Видимо се! also points forward without a future auxiliary, but it is conversational; careful neutral standard uses Видећемо се! for the explicitly future meeting.

Кад видим Петра, рећи ћу му да те позове.

When I see Petar, I'll tell him to call you.

Micro-dialogue

„Видиш ли добро сцену?“ — „Не баш. Видела бих је боље да смо ближе.“ — „После представе ћемо се видети с глумцима.“

‘Can you see the stage well?’ — ‘Not really. I would see it better if we were closer.’ — ‘After the show we'll meet the actors.’

The dialogue moves from visual capacity to a conditional perception and then to social видети се с неким.

Common Mistakes

❌ Они видеју море са прозора.

Incorrect — third-person plural is виде, not видеју.

✅ Они виде море са прозора.

They can see the sea from the window.

❌ Без сочива не гледам ситна слова.

Incorrect for visual ability — гледати means direct one's gaze; видети expresses being able to perceive.

✅ Без сочива не видим ситна слова.

Without contact lenses I can't see small print.

❌ Она се је видела с Марком после посла.

Incorrect clitic cluster — auxiliary је is omitted after се in the third-person singular perfect.

✅ Она се видела с Марком после посла.

She met Marko after work.

❌ Сваког јутра га видим у пекари док сам живео тамо.

Incorrect — present видим conflicts with the completed past interval; for a backgrounded recurring past encounter, use виђао сам.

✅ Сваког јутра сам га виђао у пекари док сам живео тамо.

I used to see him at the bakery every morning while I lived there. (male speaker)

Practice Tasks

Task 1: Perception, looking, or repetition?

Choose видети, гледати, or виђати for: watching a series now, being able to see a mountain, noticing a road sign once, and repeatedly encountering a neighbor last year.

Task 2: Interpret се

Explain the role of се in Видимо се сутра, Она се видела с лекаром, and Са моста се виде обе обале. Make the last sentence singular by replacing обе обале with тврђава.

Key Takeaways

Learn the irregular set видети — видим — виде — видео/видела.
The accusative marks what or whom one sees; clitics follow normal second-position rules.
Видети is context-sensitive: it can express continuing perception or an achieved sighting.
Гледати is deliberate visual activity; виђати specializes in repeated encounters.
Видети се means meet/see one another or be visible, and third-person singular perfect omits auxiliary је after се.

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