Verbs of perception

Seeing, hearing, and feeling actions

To describe seeing, hearing, or feeling someone perform an action, use a verb of perception like ver (to see), oír (to hear), escuchar (to listen), or sentir (to feel).

Place a direct object pronoun (lo, la, los, las) before the conjugated perception verb to show who or what you are observing. Then, follow it with an infinitive to express the action.

The tiger is here; I see him sleeping behind the elephant.
El tigre está aquí; lo veo dormir detrás del elefante.
When the lion hunts, you hear him roaring in the savanna.
Cuando el león caza, lo escuchas rugir en la sabana.
The rhinoceros is huge; I felt him walking near me.
El rinoceronte es enorme; lo sentí caminar cerca de mí.

You can also use a gerund (verbs ending in -ando or -iendo) instead of an infinitive. Use a gerund to emphasize that the action was actively in progress, similar to saying "I saw her eating" instead of "I saw her eat".

The giraffe is tall; on the safari, I saw her eating.
La jirafa es alta; en el safari, la vi comiendo.