观 guān / guàn — to look at; to watch; to observe; to behold; Taoist monastery
山顶上的景色十分壮观。Shān dǐng shàng de jǐng sè shí fēn zhuàng guān.The view from the mountaintop is magnificent.
Common words: 观点 (guān diǎn)、参观 (cān guān)、观众 (guān zhòng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to look at"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to look at", including 观 (guān / guàn), 视 (shì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to look at" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 观 (guān / guàn), 视 (shì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span guān, guàn, shì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 观 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 观 guān / guànto look at; to watch; to observe; to behold; Taoist monasteryUseful words: 观点, 参观
- 视 shìto look at; to regard; to inspectUseful words: 电视, 电视机
Common words for these 2 "to look at" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 观 (guān / guàn) — so "to look at" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to look at".
视 shì — to look at; to regard; to inspect
看书时间长了要注意保护视力。Kàn shū shí jiān cháng le yào zhù yì bǎo hù shì lì.When reading for a long time, pay attention to protecting your eyesight.
Common words: 电视 (diàn shì)、电视机 (diàn shì jī)、重视 (zhòng shì)
All 2 characters
Open 观、视 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.