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看透 (kàn tòu) — to see through (a trick, conspiracy, or hidden motive); to thoroughly understand (a person or situation); to be resigned to what is inevitable; to see through the vanities of life

Definition

Means 'to see through' — either a trick or someone's true character, or to resign oneself to life's vanities after fully understanding them. Implies complete, often disillusioned insight, not just surface understanding.

verb
to see through (a trick, conspiracy, or hidden motive)to thoroughly understand (a person or situation)to be resigned to what is inevitableto see through the vanities of life

Examples

  • 看透。
    Wǒ zǎo jiù kàn tòu le tā de huǎng yán.
    I saw through his lie long ago.
  • ，看透。
    Jīng guò zhè jiàn shì, wǒ zhōng yú kàn tòu le tā zhè ge rén.
    After this incident, I finally saw through her true character.
  • 看透，。
    Hěn duō lǎo rén dào wǎn nián cái kàn tòu rén shēng, bú zài jì jiào dé shī.
    Many elderly people only see through life in their later years and stop caring about gains and losses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

看kànsee
透tòuthrough

“看” gives see and “透” gives through, together meaning to see thoroughly.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
秀
秀xiù透tòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 透 has 辵, a walking part, and 秀, which provides the sound.

Open 透 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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