围观 (wéi guān) — to gather around and watch (a physical scene); (online) to spectate, to follow a public incident as a bystander
Definition
围观 (wéi guān) is to crowd around in a circle and watch — usually a scene, incident, or online post. Unlike 观看 (neutral 'to watch/view'), it implies a passive crowd of bystanders; unlike 观望, it does not imply a cautious wait-and-see attitude.
verb
to gather around and watch (a physical scene)(online) to spectate, to follow a public incident as a bystander
Examples
- 围观，。Dà jiā bú yào wéi guān le, ràng jiù hù chē guò qù.Everyone, stop crowding around — let the ambulance through.
- 围观。Zhè tiáo wēi bó bèi jǐ wàn rén wéi guān.This Weibo post was watched by tens of thousands of netizens.
- 围观，。Tā men zhǐ shì zài wéi guān, méi rén chū shǒu bāng máng.They were just standing around watching; nobody stepped in to help.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head
The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.
围 describes the watching happening from a circle around something, and 观 means to watch, together meaning to gather around and watch.
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