Chinese word

看望

Pronunciation

Pinyinkàn wàng

Meaning

  • verbvisit

Example

明天我要去医院看望他。míng tiān wǒ yào qù yī yuàn kàn wàng tā

Tomorrow I am going to the hospital to visit him.

Illustration for 看望 (visit)

More examples

节日我们去看望父母。jié rì wǒ men qù kàn wàng fù mǔ

During the holiday, we will visit our parents.

Core concept

Going to see someone in person turns concern into a caring visit, especially for someone who is sick, elderly, or close to the visitor.

Common phrases

  • 看望病人kàn wàng bìng rén

    visit a patient

  • 看望父母kàn wàng fù mǔ

    visit one's parents

  • 看望老人kàn wàng lǎo rén

    visit an elderly person

Similar words

拜访bài fǎng: Going to someone's home or workplace for a courteous social visit.
访问fǎng wèn: Making an official visit to a person or organization for talks and contact.
探望tàn wàng: Checking on a sick or troubled person through a visit that offers comfort.

Definition in Chinese

去看某人并表示关心或慰问，侧重探望亲友、病人或长辈的行为。qù kàn mǒu rén bìng biǎo shì guān xīn huò wèi wèn cè zhòng tàn wàng qīn yǒu bìng rén huò zhǎng bèi de xíng wéi

Word origin

As a transparent compound, 看望 (kànwàng, "visit") combines 看 (kàn, "look") with 望 (wàng, "gaze toward"), making personal attention the basis of the word.

Usage tips

  • Its object is normally a person, not a building, scenic place, or institution, so it fits a hospital patient or an elderly relative better than sightseeing.

Other meanings

  • look in onverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word