看 kān / kàn — to look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard; it depends; think
我喜欢看书。Wǒ xǐ huan kàn shū.I like reading books.
Common words: 看到 (kàn dào)、看见 (kàn jiàn)、好看 (hǎo kàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to watch"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to watch", including 看 (kān / kàn), 表 (biǎo), 观 (guān / guàn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to watch" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 看 (kān / kàn), 表 (biǎo), 观 (guān / guàn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kān, kàn, biǎo, guān, guàn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 看 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 看 kān / kànto look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard; it depends; thinkUseful words: 看到, 看见
- 表 biǎosurface; exterior; to watch; to show; express; an exampleUseful words: 手表, 表现
- 观 guān / guànto look at; to watch; to observe; to behold; Taoist monasteryUseful words: 观点, 参观
Common words for these 3 "to watch" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 看 (kān / kàn) — so "to watch" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
看到kàn dàoto see看见kàn jiànto see; to catch sight of好看hǎo kàngood-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good; in an embarrassing situation手表shǒu biǎowristwatch表现biǎo xiànto show; to show off; to display; to manifest代表dài biǎorepresentative; delegate; to represent; to stand for观点guān diǎnpoint of view; viewpoint; standpoint参观cān guānto visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory); to tour; to look around观众guān zhòngspectators; audience; visitors (to an exhibition etc)
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 3 ways to say "to watch".
表 biǎo — surface; exterior; to watch; to show; express; an example
请填写这张表格。Qǐng tián xiě zhè zhāng biǎo gé.Please fill out this form.
Common words: 手表 (shǒu biǎo)、表现 (biǎo xiàn)、代表 (dài biǎo)
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)
All 3 characters
Open 看、表、观 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.