游览 (yóu lǎn) — to go sightseeing, to tour

Definition

游览 means to tour or sightsee a place, focusing on visiting scenic or notable spots. Compared to 旅游 (travel/trip), it emphasizes the sightseeing at a destination rather than the journey.

verb
to go sightseeingto tour
Measure word · 次

Examples

  • 游览。
    Wǒ men míng tiān yì qǐ qù gōng yuán yóu lǎn.
    Let's go sightseeing at the park together tomorrow.
  • 游览？
    Nǐ yóu lǎn guò zhè ge chéng shì ma?
    Have you ever toured this city?
  • 游览。
    Zhè cì yóu lǎn ràng wǒ hěn kāi xīn.
    This sightseeing tour made me very happy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

游yóutravel
览lǎnview

游 and 览 combine as travel and view, meaning to go sightseeing.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
斿
斿yóu游yóu
Same sound today

游 combines 水 (water) with 斿, which gives the sound yóu and also relates to travelling.

Open 游 →

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 覽; 览 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān覽lǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 覽 uses 見, meaning see, for the sense and 監 for the sound; the simplified 览 is a later shorthand.

Open 览 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Travel & Tourism

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.