Chinese word

探视

Pronunciation

Pinyintàn shì

Meaning

  • verbvisit

Example

我要去医院探视他。wǒ yào qù yī yuàn tàn shì tā

I'm going to the hospital to visit him.

Illustration for 探视 (visit)

More examples

他星期天常常去医院探视住院的朋友。tā xīng qī tiān cháng cháng qù yī yuàn tàn shì zhù yuàn de péng yǒu

He often goes to the hospital on Sundays to visit a friend who is staying there.

Core concept

A purposeful visit to a sick or detained person that includes checking the person's condition.

Common phrases

  • 去医院探视病人qù yī yuàn tàn shì bìng rén

    go to the hospital to visit patients

  • 探视亲友tàn shì qīn yǒu

    visit relatives and friends

Similar words

看望kàn wàng: Visit a sick or absent person to ask about their well-being and show friendly concern.
探望tàn wàng: Go to see a sick person in order to learn about their condition and care for them.
拜访bài fǎng: Pay a formal visit to a home or workplace for courtesy or a particular purpose.
访问fǎng wèn: Visit someone or somewhere to talk about work or another official matter.

Definition in Chinese

到医院、看守所等处看望受伤或生病的人，了解其情况，常带有正式或需办理手续的意味。dào yī yuàn kān shóu suǒ děng chù kàn wàng shòu shāng huò shēng bìng de rén liáo jiě qí qíng kuàng cháng dài yǒu zhèng shì huò xū bàn lí shǒu xù de yì wèi

Word origin

探视 (tànshì, "visit and check on someone") combines 探 (tàn, "inquire into") + 视 (shì, "look at"), linking a visit with observing how someone is doing.

Usage tips

  • Because hospitals and detention facilities may control visiting times and require identification, this word often appears in formal arrangements and notices rather than casual social plans.

Other meanings

  • seeverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word