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看轻 (kàn qīng) — to underestimate, to look down upon

Definition

'To look down on, underestimate' — focused on people or one's own worth/abilities, not the opposite of 重视 in a neutral sense. Negative direction: it implies undervaluing, with 看不起 adding a stronger sense of contempt.

verb
to underestimateto look down upon

Examples

  • 。
    Bié kàn qīng tā de néng lì.
    Don't underestimate his ability.
  • 看轻。
    Tā zǒng shì kàn qīng zì jǐ de jià zhí.
    She always underestimates her own worth.
  • 看轻。
    Wǒ men bù néng kàn qīng zhè ge wèn tí de yán zhòng xìng.
    We cannot underestimate the seriousness of this problem.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

看kànlook
轻qīnglight

看 gives the idea of looking, and 轻 adds the sense of treating as light, so to look down on someone.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →
Appears in
Attitudes & Opinions

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