Difference between revisions of "Comparing "jian" and "kan""

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Both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) mean "to see" or “to visit” and sometimes can be used interchangeably. Both can be used in formal and informal settings. The key difference between these words is 见 can also mean to meetup with someone, whereas 看 can also mean to watch, to read, or to look at.
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Both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) mean to visit/see someone or to see something. Sometimes they can be used interchangeably. Both can be used in formal and informal settings. The key difference between these words is 见 can also mean to meetup with someone, whereas 看 can also mean to watch, to read, or to look at.
  
 
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<th>Meaning</th><td>to see, to visit, to meet up</td><td class="liju">to see, to visit, to watch, to read, to look at</td>
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<th>Meaning</th><td>to visit/see someone, to see something, to meet up</td><td class="liju">to visit/see someone, to see something, to watch, to read, to look at</td>
 
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== To say to visit someone or see someone/something 见 (jiàn) can be used ==
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== To say to visit/see someone or to see something 见 (jiàn) can be used ==
  
 
=== Common Phrases ===
 
=== Common Phrases ===
  
If you want to say to visit or to see someone/something, you can use 见 (jiàn).
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If you want to say to visit/see someone or to see something, you can use 见 (jiàn). In the sense of to visit/see someone, using 见 (jiàn) emphasizes “to see”.
  
 
<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 去 <em>见</em> 你 <span class="pinyin">qù <em> jiàn </em> nǐ</span><span class="trans"> go visit you </span>
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* 去 <em>见</em> 你 <span class="pinyin">qù <em> jiàn </em> nǐ</span><span class="trans"> go see/visit you </span>
 
* 去 <em>见</em> 朋友
 
* 去 <em>见</em> 朋友
 
* <em>见</em> 老师  
 
* <em>见</em> 老师  
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* 去~你
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== To say to visit/see someone or to see something 看 (kàn) can also be used ==
* 去~朋友
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* ~老师
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=== Common Phrases ===
* ~家人
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* ~到了
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If you want to visit/see someone or to see something, you can also use 看 (kàn) . In the sense of to visit/see someone, using 看 (kàn) emphasizes “to visit”.
* ~到他了
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* ~不到
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<div class="liju dapei">
* ~不到你们
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* 去 <em>看</em> 你 <span class="pinyin">qù <em> kàn </em> nǐ</span><span class="trans"> go visit/see you </span>
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* 去 <em>看</em> 朋友
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* <em>看</em> 老师
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* <em>看</em> 家人
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* <em>看</em> 到了
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* <em>看</em> 到他了
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* <em>看</em> 不到
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* <em>看</em> 不到你们
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</div>
  
 
=== Example Sentences ===
 
=== Example Sentences ===
  
In the following sentences, '''both''' 见 and 看 can be used interchangeably:
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Remember, many times 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) can be used interchangeably. In the following sentences, '''both''' 见 and 看 can be used. Again, in the sense of to visit/see someone, using 见 (jiàn) emphasizes “to see”, while 看 (kàn) emphasizes “to visit”.
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">

Revision as of 02:56, 17 August 2021

Both 见 (jiàn) and 看 (kàn) mean to visit/see someone or to see something. Sometimes they can be used interchangeably. Both can be used in formal and informal settings. The key difference between these words is 见 can also mean to meetup with someone, whereas 看 can also mean to watch, to read, or to look at.

见 (jiàn) 看 (kàn)
Meaningto visit/see someone, to see something, to meet upto visit/see someone, to see something, to watch, to read, to look at
Part of Speechverbverb
Formalityflexibleflexible

To say to visit/see someone or to see something 见 (jiàn) can be used

Common Phrases

If you want to say to visit/see someone or to see something, you can use 见 (jiàn). In the sense of to visit/see someone, using 见 (jiàn) emphasizes “to see”.

  • jiàn go see/visit you
  • 朋友
  • 老师
  • 家人
  • 到了
  • 到他了
  • 不到
  • 不到你们

To say to visit/see someone or to see something 看 (kàn) can also be used

Common Phrases

If you want to visit/see someone or to see something, you can also use 看 (kàn) . In the sense of to visit/see someone, using 看 (kàn) emphasizes “to visit”.

  • kàn go visit/see you
  • 朋友
  • 老师
  • 家人
  • 到了
  • 到他了
  • 不到
  • 不到你们

Example Sentences

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

  • 我去 你。
  • 张老师来我们家 我们。
  • 到了。
  • 小李 到我们。
  • 广场的人太多,小刘还没 到你,你喊他一下吧。
  • 昨天在买东西的时候,我们 到校长。
  • 虽然我们俩都在成都,但是我很忙,没时间 他。
  • 我们今天去南京 朋友。
  • 我们要利用暑假去 家人。

Differences

Common Phrases

These common phrases only work with 见:

  • 一会儿~
  • 晚上~
  • 明天~
  • 明年~
  • 下次~

Example Sentences

In the following sentences, only 见 can be used:

  • 我们 明天见
  • 我现在就出发了, 一会儿见
  • 下午太热了,我们 晚上见,好吗?

Common Phrases

These common phrases only work with 看:

  • ~书
  • ~报纸
  • ~电影
  • ~电视
  • ~球
  • ~病
  • ~风景
  • ~情况

Example Sentences

In the following sentences, only 看 can be used:

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