看 kàn — to look at, to watch, to read

Meanings

1. 1

   to look at, to watch, to read

   To direct your eyes at something. The same verb covers watching television, seeing a film and reading a book — 看书 is silent reading, while 读 is reading aloud.

   verb
2. 2

   to visit (someone); to see (a doctor)

   verb

Character breakdown

• 看

  kàn (fourth tone, falling) kān (first tone, high and level)

  to look at, to watch, to read; to consider, to regard; to visit; to consult (a doctor); (kān) to look after, to keep watch over

  9 strokes⿱手目Radical 目

Example sentences

• 我喜欢看书。/我喜歡看書。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xǐhuan (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) shū. (first tone, high and level)···

  I like reading.

• 我们下午看电影。/我們下午看電影。Wǒmen (third tone, dipping) xiàwǔ (fourth tone, falling) kàn (fourth tone, falling) diànyǐng. (fourth tone, falling)···

  We’re watching a film this afternoon.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我读电视。

  Correct我看电视。

  Anything you take in with your eyes — television, films, books — uses 看. 读 is narrower: it means reading a text out loud.

Similar words

Words containing 看

• 看到kàn (fourth tone, falling) dào (fourth tone, falling)to see
• 看来/看來kàn (fourth tone, falling) lai (neutral tone)apparently
• 看见/看見kànjiàn (fourth tone, falling)to see, to catch sight of
• 好看hǎo (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling)good-looking
• 看法kàn (fourth tone, falling) fǎ (third tone, dipping)way of looking at a thing
• 看上去kàn (fourth tone, falling) shang (neutral tone) qu (neutral tone)it would appear
• 看起来/看起來kàn (fourth tone, falling) qǐ (third tone, dipping) lai (neutral tone)seemingly
• 看出kàn (fourth tone, falling) chū (first tone, high and level)to make out
• 观看/觀看guān (first tone, high and level) kàn (fourth tone, falling)to watch; to view
• 查看chá (second tone, rising) kàn (fourth tone, falling)to look over
• 看好kàn (fourth tone, falling) hǎo (third tone, dipping)to regard as having good prospects
• 看待kàn (fourth tone, falling) dài (fourth tone, falling)to look upon
• 看病kàn (fourth tone, falling) bìng (fourth tone, falling)to visit a doctor
• 看作kàn (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling)to look upon as
• 看成kàn (fourth tone, falling) chéng (second tone, rising)to regard as
• 收看shōu (first tone, high and level) kàn (fourth tone, falling)to watch (a TV program)
• 看望kàn (fourth tone, falling) wàng (fourth tone, falling)to visit