seen

See also: sen, Seen, and -seen

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: sēn, IPA(key): /siːn/
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • Homophone: scene
    • Rhymes: -iːn
  • (UK dialectal) enPR: sĭn,IPA(key): /sɪn/
    • Homophone: sin
    • Rhymes: -ɪn

Etymology 1

Morphologically see +‎ -n.

Verb

seen

  1. past participle of see
    Justice must be seen to be done.
  2. (nonstandard, dialectal) simple past of see; saw.
    I seen it with my own eyes.
    • 1918, Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 156:
      "Tut, tut, Sir Benjimen," said Bill, "stir up your memory, sir; cast your eye over them felons in the dock, and tell the Court how you seen them steal the bag."
  3. (Jamaica) Understood; comprehended.
    Everything irie, seen?
Antonyms
Descendants
  • Persian: سین (sin)

Etymology 2

From Arabic سِين (sīn).

Noun

seen (plural seens)

  1. The letter س in the Arabic script.

Anagrams

Alemannic German

Etymology

From Middle High German sagen, from Old High German sagen.

Verb

seen

  1. (Issime) to say

References

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *seeni. Cognate of Finnish sieni and Latvian sẽne.

Noun

seen (genitive seene, partitive seent)

  1. mushroom
  2. fungus

Declension

Declension of seen (ÕS type 13/suur, length gradation)
singular plural
nominative seen seened
accusative nom.
gen. seene
genitive seente
partitive seent seeni
illative seende
seenesse
seentesse
seenisse
inessive seenes seentes
seenis
elative seenest seentest
seenist
allative seenele seentele
seenile
adessive seenel seentel
seenil
ablative seenelt seentelt
seenilt
translative seeneks seenteks
seeniks
terminative seeneni seenteni
essive seenena seentena
abessive seeneta seenteta
comitative seenega seentega

Finnish

Noun

seen

  1. genitive singular of see

Ingrian

Pronunciation

  • (Ala-Laukaa) IPA(key): /ˈseːn/, [ˈs̠eːn]
  • (Soikkola) IPA(key): /ˈseːn/, [ˈʃe̝ːn]
  • Rhymes: -eːn
  • Hyphenation: seen

Noun

seen

  1. alternative form of seeni

Declension

Declension of seen (type 5/keeli, no gradation)
singular plural
nominative seen seenet
genitive seenen seeniin, seenilöin
partitive seentä, seent seeniä, seenilöjä
illative seenee seenii, seenilöihe
inessive seenees seeniis, seenilöis
elative seenest seenist, seenilöist
allative seenelle seenille, seenilöille
adessive seeneel seeniil, seenilöil
ablative seenelt seenilt, seenilöilt
translative seeneks seeniks, seenilöiks
essive seenennä, seeneen seeninnä, seenilöinnä, seeniin, seenilöin
exessive1) seenent seenint, seenilöint
1) obsolete
*) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl)
**) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

Luxembourgish

Verb

seen

  1. second-person singular imperative of seenen

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English sēon, from Proto-West Germanic *sehwan, from Proto-Germanic *sehwaną.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /seːn/
  • IPA(key): /søːn/, /zøːn/ (West Midland)

Verb

seen (third-person singular simple present seeth, present participle seynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative saugh, past participle seen)

  1. To see; to perceive with the eyes:
    1. To observe, verify, or witness visually.
    2. To look at (study or monitor visually).
    3. To see indirect evidence of.
    4. To have sight; to be able to see.
  2. To understand or perceive:
    1. To see a mental picture of (especially a dream or vision)
      • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[1], published c. 1410, Apocalips 6:12, page 119v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
        ⁊ I ſai whãne he hadde openyd the ſıxte ſeel .· / ⁊ lo a greet erþe mouyng was maad / ⁊ þe ſũne was maad blak as a ſak of heire .· and al þe moone was maad as blood
        "And I saw when he'd opened the sixth seal: there was a massive earthquake, the sun was made black like haircloth, and the whole moon became like blood."
    2. To consider or ponder; to mentally observe.
    3. To comprehend or recognise the inner nature of.
    4. To recognise an opportunity.
    5. (in the passive voice) To appear or seem.
  3. To take care of or look after:
    1. To care for or protect.
    2. To see to; to ensure or guarantee.
    3. To meet or visit (someone).
  4. To experience or undergo (other than specifically visually).
  5. To attempt to determine; to inquire about.

Usage notes

  • The conjugation of this verb is highly variable; the forms given below are only a representative selection.

Conjugation

Conjugation of seen (strong class 5)
infinitive (to) seen, see
present tense past tense
1st-person singular see saugh, seigh, saw, sey
2nd-person singular seest sawe1, seye1
3rd-person singular seeth saugh, seigh, saw, sey
subjunctive singular see sawe2, seye2
imperative singular
plural3 seen, see sawen, sawe, seyen, seye
imperative plural seeth, see
participles seynge, seende seen, see, yseen, ysee

1 Later replaced by the 1st-/3rd-person singular or saughest, seighest, sawest, seyest.
2 Later replaced by the indicative.
3 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

References

Scots

Verb

seen

  1. past participle of see