瞧 qiáo to glance at
to glance at; to look at; to see
How to remember 瞧: 目 eye + 焦 scorched = to glance at. Grandma casts an eye at the pan, where the pancakes are already scorched, and rushes over to glance at the damage.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
瞧 = 目 eye + 焦 scorched
- 目 eye meaning
- 焦 scorched sound
Grandma casts an eye at the pan, where the pancakes are already scorched, and rushes over to glance at the damage.
How it came to be
The eye gives the meaning and scorched gives the sound.
How it is used
- Colloquial 'to look/see': 瞧一瞧 (qiáo yi qiáo) take a look, 你瞧 (nǐ qiáo) look here / see.
- 瞧 is casual/spoken, roughly equal to 看 (kàn) but more conversational and northern-flavored.
- 瞧不起 (qiáobuqǐ) = to look down on/despise: 别瞧不起人.
- 瞧病 (qiáobìng) = to see a doctor (dialectal for 看病).