覗きます（のぞきます、nozokimasu）
- to peek

The Japanese verb 覗きます, のぞきます, means "to peek," "to peep," "to look in," or "to peek at." It implies a brief or secretive look, often through a small opening or from a concealed position. It can refer to looking through a keyhole, glancing at something quickly, or checking on something. The action involves a subtle act of observing without being fully present or making one's presence known. The degree of the action is usually more subtle than just "watching" or "looking."

⚫︎ 鍵穴から覗きます。 Translation: I peek through the keyhole. ⚫︎ 彼女はこっそり日記を覗きました。 Translation: She secretly peeked at the diary. ⚫︎ 窓から外を覗きました。 Translation: I peeked outside from the window.

This verb is used in situations where someone is taking a quick or furtive look at something. It's often used when the act of looking is meant to be discreet or secret. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. Depending on the context, it may imply a degree of curiosity, caution, or even mischievousness. It is often used with adverbs like こっそり (secretly), そっと (gently/quietly), or こっそりと (secretly). The tense of the verb changes depending on the timeframe of the event. For example, to say "I will peek," one would say 覗きます (present/future) in polite form or 覗く (plain form).

覗きます is written in hiragana as のぞきます. The kanji form is 覗きます. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is きます which is always present when the verb is conjugated. Other conjugations, such as 覗く (plain form), or 覗かない (negative, polite form), also use the kanji 覗 combined with the appropriate ending.

⚫︎ 見る (miru): to see, to look (general term) ⚫︎ 観察する (kansatsu suru): to observe, to watch carefully ⚫︎ チラッと見る (chiratto miru): to glance ⚫︎ 偵察する (teisatsu suru): to scout, to reconnoiter (implies a specific purpose)

⚫︎ 見る (miru): to see, to look (general term) ⚫︎ 無視する (mushi suru): to ignore

子供たちは隠れてプレゼントの中身を覗きました。 ・Translation: The children hid and peeked inside the presents. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of children secretly looking at the contents of presents. The use of 隠れて (hiding) emphasizes the secrecy.

彼は不安そうにドアの隙間から部屋の中を覗き込んだ。 ・Translation: He anxiously peered into the room from the crack in the door. ・Explanation: This sentence shows someone looking inside a room through a small opening, reflecting a feeling of anxiety.

The etymology of 覗きます is not precisely known. The kanji 覗 is composed of the radicals 目 (eye) and 兑 (a phonetic component). The kanji suggests the action of looking with the eyes. The word has ancient roots in Japanese.