窺う
うかがう
verb (godan)
to peer at; to watch for (a chance); to gauge
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 窺う | 窺わない |
| Present polite | 窺います | 窺いません |
| Past | 窺った | 窺わなかった |
| Past polite | 窺いました | 窺いませんでした |
| て form | 窺って | 窺わなくて |
| ている present | 窺っている | 窺っていない |
| ている polite | 窺っています | 窺っていません |
| ている past | 窺っていた | 窺っていなかった |
| ている past polite | 窺っていました | 窺っていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 窺えば | 窺わなければ |
| Conditional たら | 窺ったら | 窺わなかったら |
| Volitional | 窺おう | — |
| Volitional polite | 窺いましょう | — |
| Potential | 窺える | 窺えない |
| Passive | 窺われる | 窺われない |
| Causative | 窺わせる | 窺わせない |
| Imperative | 窺え | 窺うな |
1.
to peer at; to peek at; to watch stealthily
To look at something carefully or secretly, often from a hidden position, to see what is happening.
2.
to watch for (a chance); to gauge (a mood or situation)
To keep watch on a situation or on someone's mood in order to judge it or to wait for the right moment to act.
A different word from the humble verb 伺う (to ask, to visit), although both are read うかがう. 窺う is about watching and judging; it has no humble meaning. The kanji is often written in kana: 様子をうかがう.
Common collocations
- 様子を窺う: to see how things stand
- 顔色を窺う: to read someone's face, to gauge their mood
- 機会を窺う / 隙を窺う: to watch for a chance / an opening
- 窺い知る: to perceive, to imagine (often negative: 窺い知れない)
Transitivity
- Type: transitive
- Pattern: 〜を窺う