Comparing "jian" and "kan"

Both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) are often used in informal and formal settings to mean to visit or to see someone. As well, both can mean to catch sight of something/someone. When used in these senses, usually they can be used interchangeably. However, 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) also have distinct individual uses, as 见 (jiàn) can also mean to meet up or to rendezvous with someone, while 看 (kàn) can also mean to watch, to read, or to look at.

	见 (jiàn)	看 (kàn)
Meaning	to visit, to see someone, to catch sight of, to meet up	to visit, to see someone, to catch sight of, to watch, to read, to look at
Part of Speech	verb	verb
Formality	flexible	flexible

To say to read or to watch use 看 (kàn)

This one is pretty clear, to describe someone who is reading a book or magazine, watching tv or a movie, or watching a sporting event or performance only 看 (kàn) can be used.

Common Phrases

• 看书
• 看杂志
• 看电视
• 看电影

• 儿子在 看 书，别打扰他了。
• 你喜欢 看 电视吗？
• 咱们去 看 一场电影，怎么样？
• 王老师喜欢 看 球。
• 周末要不要去剧院 看 演出？

To say to visit someone use 看 (kàn)

If you want to describe a situation in which you visit someone, as in going on a vacation to see relatives, visiting someone’s home to catch up, etc. use 看 (kàn).

Common Phrases

• 看 家人
• 看 朋友
• 看 老师
• 去 看 你 qù kàn nǐ go visit you

• 我们要利用暑假去 看 家人。
• 我们今天去南京 看 朋友。
• 我去 看 你。
• 张老师来我们家 看 我们。

To say to see someone use 见 (jiàn)

If you want to describe a situation in which you go and see someone use 见 (jiàn).

Common Phrases

• 见 家人
• 见 朋友
• 见 老师
• 去 见 你 qù kàn nǐ go visit you

Example Sentences

• 今天 晚上 我 会 去 见 朋友 。

To say to meet up with someone use 见 (jiàn)

Common Phrases

Meeting up with someone is often used in fixed phrases.

• 明天～
• 下次～
• 晚上～
• 一会儿～
• 明年～

If you want to say to visit/see someone, you can also use 看 (kàn). Using 看 (kàn) emphasizes “to visit”.

• 去 看 你 qù kàn nǐ go visit/see you
• 去 看 朋友
• 看 老师
• 看 家人

Example Sentences

Remember, in the sense of “to visit/see someone“ 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) can be used interchangeably. In the following sentences, both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) can be used. Again, using 见 (jiàn) emphasizes “to see”, while 看 (kàn) emphasizes “to visit”.

• 我去 看 你。
• 张老师来我们家 见 我们。
• 虽然我们俩都在成都，但是我很忙，没时间 见 他。
• 我们今天去南京 见 朋友。
• 我们要利用暑假去 看 家人。

To say to catch sight of something/someone both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) can be used interchangeably and have the same meaning

Common Phrases

In these common phrases, both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) can be used interchangeably and both mean to catch sight of something/someone.

• 见 到了
• 看 到他了
• 见 不到
• 看 不到你们

Example Sentences

In the following sentences, both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) can be used interchangeably and to mean to catch sight of something/someone.

• 我 看 到了。
• 小李 看 到我们。
• 广场的人太多，小刘还没 见 到你，你喊他一下吧。
• 昨天在买东西的时候，我们 看 到校长。

Common Phrases

These common phrases only work with 看：

• ～书
• ～电视
• ～医生
• ～风景
• ～情况

Example Sentences

In the following sentences, only 看 can be used:

• 我喜欢 看 风景。
• 在旅游的时候，我们最喜欢的是 看 风景，不怎么喜欢爬山，参观博物馆什么的。
• 咱们去 看 一场电影，怎么样？
• 儿子在 看 书，别打扰他了。
• 王老师喜欢 看 球。
• 那条消息你 看 到了吗？
• 他爸爸身体有点不舒服，最好要去 看 病。
• 明天我不知道有没有空出去玩，看 情况吧。