收看 (shōu kàn) — to watch (a TV program) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

收看 means 'to watch' specifically TV programs, broadcasts, or streams — not people or scenery. Where 看 is general ('look at / watch / read / visit'), 收看 is narrower: it's the formal term for tuning in to a broadcast.

verb

to watch (a TV program)

Examples

收看。
Wǒ měi tiān wǎn shàng dōu shōu kàn xīn wén.
I watch the news every evening.
收看。
Hěn duō rén xǐ huan shōu kàn tǐ yù bǐ sài.
Many people like to watch sports games.
收看。
Zhè ge jié mù yǒu jǐ bǎi wàn rén shōu kàn.
This program is watched by millions of people.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

收shōureceive

收 means receive and 看 means watch, so 收看 means to watch a broadcast.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攴攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

丩

丩jiū收shōu

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

收 uses 攴 to show an action and 丩 as a sound clue; the old meaning was 'to arrest.'

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

手手shǒuhand
目目mùeye

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

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 Film & Theater 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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