Dictionary › 观

观

guān

HSK 4 Character Traditional 觀

What 观 means

1. to look at
2. to watch
3. to observe
4. to behold
5. to advise
6. concept
7. point of view
8. outlook

Other readings

观 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• guànTaoist monastery; palace gate watchtower; platform
• Guànsurname Guan

Example sentences

• 坐井观天。
  Sit in the well and look at the sky.
• 他收入可观。
  Tā shōurù kěguān.
  He has a nice income.
• 我生性乐观。
  Wǒ shēngxìng lèguān.
  I am an optimist by nature.
• 要有大局观。
  We should judge matters on a broader basis.
• 你太悲观了。
  You're being too pessimistic.
• 观众人数庞大。
  Guānzhòng rénshù pángdà.
  The audience was very large.

Words starting with 观

• 观众guān zhòngspectators; audience; visitors (to an exhibition etc)
• 观点guān diǎnpoint of view; viewpoint; standpoint
• 观察guān cháto observe; to watch; to survey
• 观念guān niànnotion; thought; concept
• 观光guān guāngto tour; sightseeing; tourism
• 观看guān kànto watch; to view
• 观赏guān shǎngto look at sth with pleasure; to watch (sth marvelous); ornamental
• 观音Guān yīnGuanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy (Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara)
• 观望guān wàngto wait and see; to watch from the sidelines; to look around; to survey
• 观测guān cèto observe; to survey; observation (scientific etc)
• 观摩guān móto observe and emulate; to study (esp. following sb's example)
• 观世音Guān shì yīnGuanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy (Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara)
• 观光客guān guāng kètourist
• 观感guān gǎnone's impressions; observations
• 观察员guān chá yuánobserver
• 观察家guān chá jiāobserver (esp. one who analyzes social or political affairs)
• 观察力guān chá lìpower of observation; perception
• 观音菩萨Guān yīn Pú sàGuanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy (Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara)
• 观景台guān jǐng táilookout; viewing platform; observation deck
• 观战guān zhànto watch from the sidelines
• 观察者guān chá zhěobserver
• 观后感guān hòu gǎnimpression or feeling after visiting or watching (movies, museums etc)
• 观客guān kèaudience
• 观影guān yǐngto watch a movie

Words containing 观

• 参观cān guānto visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory); to tour; to look around
• 客观kè guānobjective; impartial
• 乐观lè guānoptimistic; hopeful
• 主观zhǔ guānsubjective
• 悲观bēi guānpessimistic
• 宏观hóng guānmacro-; macroscopic; holistic
• 壮观zhuàng guānspectacular; magnificent sight
• 可观kě guānworth seeing; considerable; impressive; significant
• 美观měi guānpleasing to the eye; beautiful; artistic
• 世界观shì jiè guānworldview; world outlook; Weltanschauung
• 微观wēi guānmicro-; subatomic
• 景观jǐng guānlandscape
• 外观wài guānoutward appearance
• 价值观jià zhí guānvalue system; personal or cultural values
• 围观wéi guānto stand in a circle and watch
• 直观zhí guāndirect observation; directly perceived through the senses; intuitive
• 旁观者páng guān zhěobserver; spectator
• 奇观qí guānspectacle; impressive sight
• 大观园Dà guān yuánProspect Garden; Grand View Garden, a garden in Dream of the Red Chamber
• 改观gǎi guānchange of appearance; to revise one's point of view
• 纵观zòng guānto survey comprehensively; an overall survey
• 旁观páng guānspectator; non-participant
• 叹为观止tàn wéi guān zhǐ(idiom) to gasp in amazement; to acclaim as the peak of perfection
• 反观fǎn guānby contrast; but as for this...; viewed from another angle

Characters that look like 观

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 农nóng(bound form) agriculture
• 戎rónggeneric term for weapons (old); army (matters); military affairs
• 岐Qísurname Qi; also used in place names
• 讹éerror; false; to extort
• 岘xiànabbr. for 岘首山; Mt Xianshou in Hubei; steep hill
• 陇Lǒngshort name for Gansu 甘肃

Sounds the same

Read guān, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 关mountain pass; to close; to shut; to turn off; to confine; to lock (sb) up…
• 官government official; governmental; official
• 棺coffin
• 莞Skimmia japonica
• 冠hat; crown; crest
• 倌keeper of domestic animals; herdsman; (old) hired hand in certain trade
• 鳏widower
• 蒄(herb mentioned in ancient texts)
• 瘝incapacitated; inefficient
• 関variant of 关
• 覌variant of 观
• 闗old variant of 关