To see eye to eye is to agree. Two people look at the same question and reach the same view, as if they were standing at the same height with the same view in front of them.
The phrase usually appears with with: "I see eye to eye with my manager." It is often used in the negative, which makes it a polite way to describe a disagreement: "We do not always see eye to eye."
This page explains the meaning, the grammar, the register and the similar phrases. The 10-question drill at the end explains every answer.
What it means
In one sentence: To see eye to eye with someone means to agree with them and share the same opinion about something.
What the idiom means in everyday English
- It means agreement on an opinion, not a meeting of eyes: "We see eye to eye on the budget."
- The phrase often names the topic: see eye to eye on a plan, on politics, on the design.
- The negative form is very common and softer than saying two people disagree.
- It describes agreement between people or groups, not agreement with a fact.
How the idiom behaves in a sentence
- The usual pattern is see eye to eye with someone: "I see eye to eye with her."
- The verb changes with tense: see, sees, saw, seeing. The past form is "we saw eye to eye".
- You can add on plus a topic: "They see eye to eye on the new schedule."
- The phrase never uses articles: eye to eye, not an eye to an eye or the eye to the eye.
When the idiom does not fit
- Do not use it about objects or plans agreeing with each other; it is for people.
- For a small difference, say "we mostly agree"; see eye to eye suggests a real shared opinion.
- Avoid it when you need to state a formal position; "we agree" is more direct.
- Do not use it to mean seeing someone in person; that needs a different phrase.
Where it comes from
The image comes from the Bible. The King James Version of 1611 translates Isaiah 52:8 as "they shall see eye to eye", describing people who share the same clear view. English later took the phrase for two people who hold the same opinion.
Use it or not
Register: Neutral. See eye to eye works in conversation, in meetings, in interviews and even in formal writing about a disagreement. The negative form is a polite way to say two people disagree. It is not slang and it is never rude.
Examples
- We do not always see eye to eye, but we work well together.The negative makes a disagreement sound calm.
- I see eye to eye with my sister on almost everything.The with pattern names the other person.
- The two managers saw eye to eye on the new budget.The past form is saw, and on names the topic.
- Do you see eye to eye with your colleagues about the plan?The question form asks about agreement.
- They have never seen eye to eye on politics.The present perfect describes a long disagreement.
- After a long talk, we finally saw eye to eye.Finally shows agreement reached after difficulty.
- It is easier to work with people who see eye to eye with you.The phrase describes shared views in a team.
Similar idioms
be on the same page
to share the same understanding of a situation or plan.
see things the same way
the plain phrase for sharing an opinion.
be of one mind
to be in complete agreement, slightly formal.
agree to disagree
to accept that you will not agree and stop arguing.
be on the same wavelength
to understand each other easily and think in a similar way.
Practice drill
Answer all 10 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the meaning is explained under the question.
We have different opinions on the design. We do not ___.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. see eye to eye See eye to eye means to agree, so the negative describes the disagreement about the design.
Which sentence uses see eye to eye correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. The two directors see eye to eye on the new plan. See eye to eye is used about people who agree, often with on naming the topic; the other sentences misuse the phrase.
What does see eye to eye mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. to agree with someone See eye to eye is an idiom for sharing an opinion with another person.
Maya and Tom have the same view of the problem. What can you say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. They see eye to eye. Sharing the same view is exactly what see eye to eye means.
Which topic can people see eye to eye on?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. a company policy People agree on opinions and plans, so a company policy fits; the other items are not opinions the phrase is used with.
Choose the sentence with the same meaning: "We do not see eye to eye on this."
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. We do not agree about this. See eye to eye means agree, so the sentence means the two people disagree about the topic.
Which is correct?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. I see eye to eye with my manager. The fixed idiom uses no articles and the singular eye: see eye to eye with someone.
After a long discussion, the team finally agreed. What can you say?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. They finally saw eye to eye. Saw eye to eye is the past form of the idiom, and it fits reaching agreement after a long discussion.
Which sentence does NOT use the idiom correctly?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The two buildings see eye to eye across the street. The idiom describes people agreeing, not buildings that face each other, so the last sentence is wrong.
A colleague says, "We do not see eye to eye on this." What does she mean?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. We disagree about this. See eye to eye means to share an opinion, so the negative sentence means the two people disagree.
Questions learners ask
Is see eye to eye formal or informal?
It is neutral. It works in conversation, in meetings and in formal writing. The negative form, "we do not see eye to eye", is a polite way to describe a disagreement without sounding aggressive.
Which preposition goes with see eye to eye?
Use with for the person: "I see eye to eye with him." Use on for the topic: "We see eye to eye on the budget." You can use both in one sentence: "I see eye to eye with her on this question."
Can I say see an eye to an eye?
No. The fixed idiom has no articles: see eye to eye. Adding an or the breaks the phrase, even though the words are the same.
More idioms
Pull someone’s leg
To pull someone’s leg is to joke with them by saying something that is not true, in a friendly way.
Get cold feet
To get cold feet is to become nervous at the last moment and want to back out of a plan, especially a big one.
In hot water
To be in hot water is to be in trouble because of something you did or failed to do.
Browse all the idiom pages or take the free A1 to C2 level test to find your starting point.