Definition
围观 (wéi guān) means 'to gather around and watch' — it often implies passive, curious onlookers who don't intervene. Unlike 观看 (guān kàn), which is neutral 'to watch/view', 围观 emphasizes the crowd and the bystander role. 观望 (guān wàng) is about waiting and assessing a situation before acting, not just watching.
verb
to gather around and watch (a physical scene)(online) to spectateto follow a public incident as a bystander
Easily confused
- 微观wēi guānsound-alikemicro-, microscopic
Examples
- 围观，。Dàjiā bú yào wéi guān le, ràng jiùhùchē guòqù.Everyone, stop crowding around — let the ambulance through.
- 围观。Zhè tiáo wēibó bèi jǐ wàn rén wéi guān.This Weibo post was watched by tens of thousands of netizens.
- 围观，。Tāmen zhǐshì zài wéi guān, méi rén chūshǒu bāngmáng.They were just standing around watching; nobody stepped in to help.
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