观战 (guān zhàn) — (separable verb) to watch a battle, fight, or g… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

观战 (guānzhàn) is a separable verb meaning to watch a battle or game as a spectator, not to take part. It is more specific than 看 — the object is always a contest or conflict, and you split it as 观…战 (e.g. 观了三天战).

verb

(separable verb) to watch a battlefightor game (as a spectator)

Examples

观战。
Dà jiā dōu lái kàn guān zhàn le.
Everyone has come to watch the game.
。
Tā zài zhàn chǎng páng biān guān le sān tiān zhàn.
He watched the battle from the sidelines for three days.
。
Qiú mí men jù jí zài diàn shì jī qián guān zhàn.
The fans gathered in front of the TV to watch the match.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

观 means to watch and 战 means a battle, so the word describes watching a fight or game.

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.

雚見觀

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

占戈战

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn战zhàn

Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

Appears in

Sports & Athletics

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