see
see — verb
1. to notice people or objects around you through the sense of sight
to notice people or objects around you through the sense of sight
Trang saw a rabbit hop across the garden path this morning.
see + noun phrase for physical perception
Omar cannot see the words on the board without his glasses.
can/could + see for ability
From the hilltop, Élise could see the river winding through the valley.
The cat saw a mouse and sat very still near the kitchen door.
Ada saw that her friend was crying and went to comfort her.
- miss
to fail to see something even when looking
文法句型
see + noun phrase
can/could + see
see + that-clause
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'can' or 'could' to describe the ability to perceive by sight, especially in the present tense. 'I see a bird' and 'I can see a bird' are both natural, but 'I can see' is more common in British English for present-moment perception.
常見錯誤
2. to attend or view an entertainment programme, sporting event, or show as a spect
to attend or view an entertainment programme, sporting event, or show as a spectator
Xiu and her sister saw a great film at the cinema last weekend.
see + film at a venue
Millions of people saw the football final on television around the world.
Christopher saw a wonderful play at the National Theatre last night.
We saw the band play live at a small club in Taipei.
Baraka and his cousins saw a thrilling basketball final at the indoor stadium.
文法句型
see + film/TV show/performance
see + someone + do/doing something
用法筆記
In this sense, 'see' usually refers to attending or watching an entire event. 'Watch' is more common for paying close attention moment by moment (e.g., 'watch TV'). 'See' is preferred for films, plays, and live performances as complete experiences.
常見錯誤
3. if a time or place sees an event, that event happens during that time or in that
if a time or place sees an event, that event happens during that time or in that place
Last year saw a huge increase in visitors to the national park.
time period + sees + event noun phrase
The old town square has seen many festivals over the past hundred years.
place + has seen + event
The 1990s saw the rapid growth of internet use around the world.
This stadium saw the national team win its first championship in 2015.
- witness
more formal; strongly personified, as if the time/place is an observer
- experience
broader; can also be used with person subjects
文法句型
time/place + sees + event
用法筆記
The subject of this sense is always a time expression (year, decade, era) or a place (town, stadium, region), never a person. The verb cannot be used in the continuous form for this meaning.
常見錯誤
4. used to say that something even more surprising, impressive, or extreme is still
used to say that something even more surprising, impressive, or extreme is still to appear or happen
If you think that song was good, you have not seen anything yet.
fixed expression: haven't seen anything yet
The chef told us we had not seen the best dish, which was still coming.
You think this city is busy now? You have not seen it during the festival.
The tour guide told the group they had not seen the best view yet.
文法句型
(you) have not seen + anything/nothing + yet
用法筆記
Almost always used in the negative structure 'haven't seen anything yet' or 'haven't seen nothing yet'. The expression builds anticipation for something more remarkable.
5. to understand something or grasp the meaning or truth of a fact, idea, or situat
to understand something or grasp the meaning or truth of a fact, idea, or situation
Sofia suddenly saw that she had made a mistake in her calculation.
see + that-clause for sudden realisation
I do not see why the meeting was cancelled at the last minute.
see + wh-clause for understanding a reason
Do you see what I mean about the traffic being worse in the morning?
Oh, I see! The train leaves from platform three, not platform one.
Lakshmi could not see the joke until her friend explained it to her.
- understand
more formal and precise; implies full comprehension
- realize
becoming aware of something one did not notice before
- grasp
to understand something fully, often something difficult
- miss
to fail to understand something
文法句型
see + that-clause
see + wh-clause
see + noun phrase (meaning)
I see (intransitive)
用法筆記
This sense can take a that-clause ('I see that you are busy') or a wh-clause ('I see what you mean'). The intransitive 'I see' is a common conversational response meaning 'I understand' — it has no continuous form.
常見錯誤
6. to spend time with someone by meeting them, or to go to a place and look around
to spend time with someone by meeting them, or to go to a place and look around it
Antonia went to see her grandmother at the hospital after work.
see + someone for a visit
We should go and see the new art museum while we are in town.
see + place as a visitor
The doctor will see patients between two and four this afternoon.
Noa saw an old friend from university at the supermarket yesterday.
Sade went to see the famous temple during her trip to Kyoto.
文法句型
see + someone (meet)
see + place (visit)
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb/7 (DATING) — this sense covers casual social meetings, visits to places, and professional appointments, not romantic relationships.
7. to go out on dates with someone because you are romantically interested in them,
to go out on dates with someone because you are romantically interested in them, often as a step toward a committed relationship.
Ari has been seeing Greta for about three months now, and they seem very happy.
progressive: has been seeing [someone]
My grandmother asked if I was seeing anyone special these days.
interrogative: whether someone is seeing anyone
Daichi and Roya started seeing each other after they met at a cooking class.
Christopher is not ready to see just one person — he prefers casual dates.
Felix asked Élise if he was seeing anyone, and she said no.
- date
more direct and slightly more intentional than 'see'
- go out with
informal, same meaning as 'see' in this sense
文法句型
see + object (a person)
see + each other
用法筆記
Often used in the progressive form (seeing someone) to indicate an ongoing romantic relationship. The question 'Are you seeing anyone?' is a common way to ask about someone's relationship status.
常見錯誤
8. to hold a particular judgement on a person or thing, or to picture someone carry
to hold a particular judgement on a person or thing, or to picture someone carrying out a specific activity — for instance, viewing a mistake as a useful lesson, or imagining a friend living in another country.
Many people see the new policy as a positive step for the environment.
see + object + as + noun phrase
I can see Tomás becoming a great teacher — he is very patient with children.
see + object + verb-ing (imagining future)
Noa saw the argument as a chance to finally clear the air between them.
Do you see yourself staying at this company for another five years?
Henrik sees every mistake as a lesson he can learn from.
文法句型
see + object + as + noun/adjective
see + object + verb-ing
用法筆記
Often followed by as + noun/adjective (see something as a problem / see it as useful) or by verb-ing (can see someone becoming / see yourself doing). The object can be a person, a situation, or an abstract idea.
常見錯誤
9. to walk with someone to a place, usually to make sure they arrive safely or to s
to walk with someone to a place, usually to make sure they arrive safely or to show them the way.
Jabari offered to see Roya home after the party ended late.
see + object + home (direction without preposition)
The nurse saw the patient to the front door of the clinic.
see + object + to + place
Let me see you to the train station — it is easy to get lost here.
Ayesha saw her grandmother to the taxi and waved goodbye.
Greta asked her brother to see her to the bus stop after dark.
文法句型
see + object + to/into + place
see + object + home/out
用法筆記
Commonly paired with direction words like 'home', 'to the door', 'to the station', or 'out'. Often implies a polite or protective gesture rather than an official duty.
10. to make an effort to gain information or find an answer, such as by checking a s
to make an effort to gain information or find an answer, such as by checking a source, asking a question, or waiting for news.
Please see if the mail has arrived yet this morning.
imperative: see + if-clause
I will call the hotel to see whether they have any rooms available tonight.
see + whether-clause
Can you see who is knocking at the front door?
Daichi opened the box to see what was inside the package.
Let me see how much this train ticket costs before I buy it.
文法句型
see + if/whether-clause
see + wh-clause
用法筆記
Typically takes an interrogative clause (if, whether, who, what, where, how). The object clause answers the question the speaker wants answered. Common in imperatives and polite requests.
常見錯誤
11. to take action in order to guarantee that something happens or is carried out as
to take action in order to guarantee that something happens or is carried out as it should be.
Please see that the doors are locked before you go to bed.
imperative: see that + clause
The supervisor saw that every workstation had the correct safety equipment before authorising the shift.
past tense: saw that + clause
See to it that all the lights are turned off when you leave.
Noa saw that every window was locked and the alarm was set before leaving for work.
The manager will see that your complaint is passed to the right department.
文法句型
see (that) + clause
see to it that + clause
用法筆記
Usually followed by a that-clause. The conjunction 'that' can be omitted in informal speech. The alternative form 'see to it that' is more emphatic and is common in instructions.
常見錯誤
see — noun
1. A town or city where a bishop's main church stands and from which the bishop exe
A town or city where a bishop's main church stands and from which the bishop exercises religious authority.
The Archbishop of Canterbury holds authority over the historic see of Canterbury.
collocation: the see of [place name]
Cardinal Okafor was appointed to lead the see of Nairobi in 2019.
passive: appointed to lead the see of [city]
The Holy See is the name given to the central government of the Catholic Church.
Salma learned about the bishop's see during her visit to the old cathedral.
Each diocese has a see where the bishop's main church is located.
文法句型
the see of [place]
the Holy See
用法筆記
Often followed by 'of' plus a place name (e.g. 'the see of Rome'). The fixed expression 'the Holy See' refers specifically to the papacy and the central administration of the Catholic Church, not to a geographic location.
see — idiom
1. a reference to Thomas Jefferson Jackson See (1866–1962), a US-born researcher in
a reference to Thomas Jefferson Jackson See (1866–1962), a US-born researcher in astronomy and mathematics who worked on binary stars, solar physics, and gravity theory at the US Naval Observatory and the University of Berlin — found mainly in historical writing about late-19th and early-20th century astronomy.
Lara found a 1903 paper by See while researching early theories about how planets form.
The observatory library keeps the original notes that See wrote about his star measurements.
possessive: See + noun for attribution
Historians of astronomy still discuss some of the claims that See made about gravity.
Few people today know the name See, but his work appears in old astronomy textbooks.
用法筆記
This entry refers to the person Thomas Jefferson Jackson See, not to the common English verb or noun. The surname See is used with a capital S in biographical references.