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看

看 (kàn) Chinese Character: to look, to watch

9 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 目

Put a hand above your eye 目 so you can 看 clearly.

Practice 看 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: A Hand Shading the Eyes

看 (kàn) means “to look,” “to watch,” or “to read.” Its structure is traditionally understood as a hand above 目, “eye,” like shading your eyes to see clearly. Use 看电视, “watch TV,” 看书, “read a book,” and 看医生, “see a doctor.”

🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

看见
看look见perceive=see
好看
好good看to look at=good-looking or nice to watch

Chinese character origin and etymology

看 is documented as a character built from meaningful or phonetic parts. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.

In modern simplified Chinese, 看 is written with 9 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 看 contains 手 and 目. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.

Chinese character stroke order and structure

看 is written with 9 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 手 — hand-like upper component
  • 目 — eye

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 看 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

我喜欢看书。 Wǒ xǐhuan kàn shū. I like reading books.
他们在看电视。 Tāmen zài kàn diànshì. They are watching television.
你看这个字。 Nǐ kàn zhè ge zì. Look at this character.

Learning tips for 看

Learn the reading as one unit: kàn, with the fourth tone: a sharp fall. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “to look, to watch,” and write the 9 strokes from memory.

Because 看 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 目 (mù, eye — the lower component); 见 (jiàn, to see, meet); 书 (shū, book — 看书 means “read”). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 看 without pinyin?
  • Can you say kàn with the correct tone and explain “to look, to watch”?
  • Can you write all 9 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 看 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Learn 看 in a themed collection

Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.

🏃 Essential Chinese Verbs

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.