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看见 (kàn jiàn) — to see, to catch sight of

Definition

看见 (kànjiàn) means 'to see / catch sight of' — emphasizes the moment you notice something, whereas 看 is the general verb for 'to look' or 'to see' (also 'to read', 'to watch', 'to visit').

verb
to seeto catch sight of

Examples

  • 看见。
    Wǒ kàn jiàn le tā de māo.
    I saw his cat.
  • 看见？
    Nǐ kàn jiàn wǒ de shū le ma?
    Did you see my book?
  • 看见。
    Wǒ méi kàn jiàn tā.
    I didn't see him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

看kànlook
见jiànsee

The 看 action brings about the 见 outcome, so it means to catch sight of.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 11000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsSenses2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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