Meaning Index
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to reflect", including 照 (zhào), 鉴 (jiàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
The English word "to reflect" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 照 (zhào), 鉴 (jiàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhào, jiàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 照 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 照 (zhào) — so "to reflect" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 reflect".
我们在长城前照了一张相。Wǒ men zài Cháng chéng qián zhào le yì zhāng xiàng.We took a photo in front of the Great Wall.
Common words: 照片 (zhào piàn)、照顾 (zhào gu)、护照 (hù zhào)
专家正在鉴定这件文物的真假。Zhuān jiā zhèng zài jiàn dìng zhè jiàn wén wù de zhēn jiǎ.The expert is appraising whether this relic is genuine.
Common words: 鉴定 (jiàn dìng)、鉴于 (jiàn yú)、鉴别 (jiàn bié)
Open 照、鉴 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.