见 jiàn see
see; to meet; to appear
How to remember 见: 冂 box + 丿 slash + 乚 hook = see. At the stadium a boy climbs onto a box, slashing the air with his flag, steps on a hook in the fence and shouts "I can see him!"
Component breakdown
会意 · Meaning + meaning
originally 目 + 卩
Two or more parts whose meanings together make the new meaning.
见 = 冂 box + 丿 slash + 乚 hook
- 冂 box shape only
- 丿 slash shape only
- 乚 hook shape only
At the stadium a boy climbs onto a box, slashing the air with his flag, steps on a hook in the fence and shouts "I can see him!"
How it came to be
The oldest form is a kneeling person whose head is one big eye.
How it is used
- On a sense-verb it marks actually perceiving: 看见 (kànjiàn) see, 听见 (tīngjiàn) hear; the result of looking or listening.
- Alone it means meet / appear: 见面 (jiànmiàn) meet up, 再见 (zàijiàn) goodbye (see you again).
Characters built with 见
Words with 见
- 看见kànjiànto seeHSK 1
- 再见zàijiàngood-byeHSK 1
- 听见tīngjiànto hearHSK 1
- 见面jiànmiànmeet/see somebody (face to face)HSK 3
- 不见bújiànnot to seeHSK 3
- 常见chángjiàncommonly seenHSK 3
- 遇见yùjiànto meetHSK 3
- 意见yìjiànopinionHSK 4
- 少见shǎojiànrareHSK 4
- 可见kějiànit can clearly be seenHSK 5
- 碰见pèngjiànto run intoHSK 5
- 会见huìjiànto meet withHSK 6
- 罕见hǎnjiànrareHSK 6
- 不见得bújiàndénot necessarilyHSK 7
- 参见cānjiànto refer toHSK 7
- 司空见惯sīkōng-jiànguàna common occurrence (idiom)HSK 7
- 喜闻乐见xǐwén-lèjiànto love to hear and see (idiom)HSK 7
- 拜见bàijiànto pay a formal visitHSK 7
- 接见jiējiànto receive somebodyHSK 7
- 见外jiànwàito treat somebody with the formal courtesy accorded to a host or a guestHSK 7
- 见多识广jiànduō-shíguǎngexperienced and knowledgeableHSK 7
- 见效jiànxiàoto produce the intended effectHSK 7
- 见解jiànjiěopinionHSK 7
- 见证jiànzhèngto be witness toHSK 7
- 见识jiànshito gain first-hand knowledge of somethingHSK 7
- 见闻jiànwénwhat one has seen and heardHSK 7
- 远见yuǎnjiànforesightHSK 7
- 随处可见suíchùkějiàncan be seen everywhereHSK 7
- 难得一见nándéyíjiànrarely seenHSK 7
- 预见yùjiànto foreseeHSK 7
- 高见gāojiànwise opinionHSK 7
- 一针见血yìzhēn-jiànxiěliterally to draw blood on the first prickHSK 8
- 偏见piānjiànprejudiceHSK 8
- 各抒己见gèshū-jǐjiàneveryone gives their own viewHSK 8
- 显而易见xiǎn’éryìjiànclearly and easy to see (idiom)HSK 9
- 见义勇为jiànyì-yǒngwéiusually of a passer-by who comes across a critical situationHSK 9
- 见仁见智jiànrén-jiànzhìopinions differ (idiom)HSK 9
- 见利忘义jiànlì-wàngyìto abandon moral principles in the pursuit of profitHSK 9
Example sentences
- 一小时后见。 Yì xiǎoshí hòu jiàn.We'll meet in an hour.
- 咱们北京见！ Zánmen Běijīng jiàn!Let's meet in Beijing.
- 我看见他了。 Wǒ kànjiàn tā le.I saw him.
- 我不想和你说再见。 Wǒ bù xiǎng hé nǐ shuō zàijiàn.I don't want to say goodbye to you.