German word

fernsehen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈfɛɐ̯nˌzeːən/

Meaning

  • verbwatch TV

Example

Ich sehe abends oft fern.

I often watch TV in the evening.

Illustration for fernsehen (watch TV)

More examples

Am Wochenende sehe ich oft live fern.

On the weekend, I often watch television live.

Core concept

A screen brings distant scenes and moving programs into the viewer's immediate sight.

Common phrases

  • am Wochenende fernsehen

    watch TV on the weekend

  • live fernsehen

    watch television live

  • mit der Familie fernsehen

    watch television with the family

Similar words

sehen: See people or things with the naked eye.
ansehen: Look closely at a person or thing.
gucken: Casually watch what is on a screen or around you.
zusehen: Watch someone's actions or an event with focused attention.

Definition in German

fernsehen bedeutet, Fernsehsendungen oder andere audiovisuelle Inhalte auf einem Bildschirm anzuschauen.

Word origin

The compound combines German "fern" for "far" with "sehen" for "see", forming the sense of seeing images from a distance.

Usage tips

  • In a finite clause, the separable prefix moves to the end, as in "Ich sehe abends oft fern."

Opposites

Related words

  • das Fernsehenwatching televisionnoun
  • das FernsehgerätTV setnoun
  • die FernsehsendungTV shownoun

Word lists with this word