Hojear is a verb in Spanish.
/hoxeˈaɾ/
Hojear refers to the action of quickly looking through the pages of a book, magazine, or any written material without reading it thoroughly. It is often used when someone is trying to get an overview of the content or is searching for something specific. The frequency of use is relatively common, both in written contexts (such as in books, articles, or instructions on how to find information) and in oral speech, particularly when discussing reading habits or browsing materials.
Voy a hojear este libro antes de decidir si lo compro.
I am going to leaf through this book before deciding whether to buy it.
Ella hojeó la revista mientras esperaba su turno en la sala de espera.
She flipped through the magazine while waiting for her turn in the waiting room.
Hojear el catálogo nos ayudó a encontrar lo que queríamos.
Browsing through the catalog helped us find what we wanted.
While hojear itself might not appear frequently in idiomatic expressions, it can be combined with other phrases that relate to browsing or looking for information. Here are a few such expressions:
Me gusta hojear páginas de libros viejos en mi tiempo libre.
I enjoy flipping through pages of old books in my free time.
Hojear un cuaderno.
To flip through a notebook.
Él hojeó un cuaderno durante su presentación para recordar sus puntos importantes.
He flipped through a notebook during his presentation to recall his important points.
Hojear un periódico.
To leaf through a newspaper.
Antes de tomar el tren, siempre hojeo un periódico para estar al tanto de las noticias.
Before taking the train, I always browse through a newspaper to stay updated on the news.
Hojear archivos.
To browse through files.
The verb hojear comes from the Spanish noun hoja, which means "leaf" (as in a page of a book). The term evolved to describe the action of handling or going through the leaves (pages) of a book or similar materials.
Hojear effectively communicates the notion of casual or cursory examination that contrasts with the deeper process of reading or studying.