look in Chinese

How to write 看

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

看 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

看 in a sentence

• 看kàn，那nà是shì什shén么me？

  Look, what is that?

• 我wǒ在zài看kàn一yī本běn书shū。

  I am reading a book.

• 请qǐng看kàn着zhe黑hēi板bǎn。

  Please look at the blackboard.

看 vs 看见 vs 瞧 vs 望

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 看见 kàn jiàn to see; to catch sight of

  看 is the act of looking or watching; 看见 adds the result — something actually entered your sight. 看不见 means 'can't see'.

• 瞧 qiáo to look; to glance

  Colloquial, northern-flavored 'look' — 瞧一瞧 'take a look'. Casual and friendly, but less used in the south.

• 望 wàng to gaze into the distance

  Literary and formal: looking far away, as in 远望. Not used for everyday 'look at'.