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观赏 (guān shǎng) — to view admiringly, to appreciate (a sight, performance, artwork, etc.)

Definition

观赏 means to view or watch with enjoyment and appreciation (art, scenery, performances). Stronger aesthetic appreciation than plain 看 or 观看 — use it when the focus is on savoring beauty, not just seeing.

verb
to view admiringlyto appreciate (a sight, performance, artwork, etc.)

Examples

  • 观赏。
    Wǒ men yì qǐ qù gōng yuán guān shǎng fēng jǐng ba.
    Let's go to the park together and enjoy the scenery.
  • 观赏。
    Zhè xiē huà zhí dé zǐ xì guān shǎng.
    These paintings are worth carefully appreciating.
  • 观赏。
    Zuó wǎn de yǎn chū ràng guān zhòng guān shǎng le zhěng zhěng liǎng gè xiǎo shí.
    Last night's performance kept the audience watching with pleasure for a full two hours.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

观guānlook
赏shǎngadmire

观 is looking and 赏 is admiring, so it means to view something with pleasure.

Characters in this word

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 觀; 观 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn觀guān
Same sound today

The traditional form 觀 uses 見 (see) for meaning and 雚 for sound.

Open 观 →

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 賞; 赏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
商
商shāng賞shǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 賞 pairs 商 for sound with 貝, a cowry shell; the simplified 赏 is a shorthand.

Open 赏 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Senses

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