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看热闹 (kàn rè nao) — to watch the excitement; to go where the crowd is for fun; to gloat; to watch someone's misfortune with secret delight

Definition

Literally 'watch the bustle', it means to gather where something exciting is happening just to spectate — not to help. With a possessive (看他的热闹) it shifts to gloating at someone's misfortune.

verb
to watch the excitementto go where the crowd is for funto gloatto watch someone's misfortune with secret delight

Examples

  • ，看热闹。
    Jiē shàng yǒu rén chǎo jià, hěn duō rén dōu zài kàn rè nao.
    Some people are arguing on the street, and many are watching the excitement.
  • ，，。
    Tā shuāi dǎo le, páng biān de rén bú dàn bù bāng máng, fǎn ér kàn tā de rè nao.
    He fell, and the people nearby not only didn't help but instead gloated at his misfortune.
  • ，。
    Wǒ jiù qù kàn le yì yǎn rè nao, méi dài duō jiǔ.
    I just went to take a quick look at the excitement and didn't stay long.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

看kànwatch
热闹lively excitement
热rèhot闹nàonoisy
联合Coordinate

看 means to watch, and 热闹 means lively excitement; the sense is watching a crowd or commotion.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 看 puts 手 (hand) over 目 (eye), showing a hand placed above the eyes to gaze into the distance.

Open 看 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬧; 闹 is its simplified writing.

  • 鬥鬥dòuto fight
  • 市市shìmarket; town

The traditional form 鬧 combines 鬥 (to fight) and 市 (market; town) to mean noisy.

Open 闹 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSociety & Public Life

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