verb
to look, to watch
B1
schauen means 'to look' or 'to watch'. It's a regular weak verb using auxiliary haben (Perfekt: geschaut). Non-reflexive and not separable. Conjugates regularly (Präteritum: schaute). Imperative forms: schau, schaut, schauen Sie. Often interchangeable with sehen in colloquial use, implying intentional looking.
Examples
Nachdem der Film zu Ende war, schauten die Freunde die Kritiken an, um zu entscheiden, ob sie eine Fortsetzung sehen würden.
After the film had ended, the friends looked at the reviews to decide whether they would see a sequel.
Sie schaute zum Himmel.
She looked up at the sky.
Ich schaue aus dem Fenster, um die Vögel zu beobachten.
I'm looking out the window to watch the birds.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture someone peering through a window: they 'schauen' to see what's outside.
sounds like 'show-in' — imagine 'looking' to show you something
Notes
Schauen is a common weak verb meaning both 'to look' and 'to watch' depending on context. For watching (e.g., TV, a film) it often overlaps with sehen.