blicken
Translation
to look, to glance, to gaze
Examples
Er blickte aus dem Fenster.
He looked out of the window.
Sie blickte auf die Uhr.
She glanced at the clock.
Wir blicken optimistisch in die Zukunft.
We look optimistically into the future.
Grammar Patterns
((auf+4)) to look/glance at sth. She glanced at the clock.
((in+4)) to look into sth. We look into the future.
((aus+3)) to look out of sth. He looked out of the window.
Similar Words
schauen, sehen, gucken
Etymology
Cognate with the English word 'blink'. While 'blink' is about the eyes closing and opening, 'blicken' is about the act of looking itself.
Memory Tips
Think of a quick 'blink' that turns into a 'glance' or 'look'. It's often a bit more formal or literary than 'schauen' or 'gucken'.