Comparing "jian" and "kan"
Both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) are often used to mean to visit/see someone or to catch sight of something/someone. When used in these meanings, they can be used interchangeably. Both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) are used in formal and informal settings. The key difference between these words is 见 (jiàn) can also mean to meet up，to rendezvous with someone, and 看 (kàn) can also mean to watch, to read, or to look at.
| 见 (jiàn) | 看 (kàn) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to visit/see someone, to catch sight of something/someone, to meet up | to visit/see someone, to catch sight something/someone, to watch, to read, to look at |
| Part of Speech | verb | verb |
| Formality | flexible | flexible |
Contents
To say to visit/see someone 见 (jiàn) can be used
Common Phrases
If you want to say to visit/see someone, you can use 见 (jiàn). Using 见 (jiàn) emphasizes “to see”.
- 去 见 你 go see/visit you
- 好久 不 见
- 星期三 见
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.
- 好久 不 见！
- 我们 下 星期 见 。
- 今天 晚上 我 会 去 见 朋友 。
- 十 年 没 见 他 ， 他 的 变化 很 大 。
- 他 今天 非常 忙 ， 没 时间 见 你 了 。
- 那个 女孩儿 很 好，见 过 她 的 人 都 很 喜欢 她。
To say to visit/see someone 看 (kàn) can also be used
Common Phrases
If you want to say to visit/see someone, you can also use 看 (kàn). Using 看 (kàn) emphasizes “to visit”.
- 去 看 你 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。
