HSK · Level 36
120 words
Chinese word
看热闹
Pronunciation
Pinyinkàn rè nào
Meaning
- verbwatch the spectacle
Example
大家都围着看热闹。dà jiā dōu wéi zhe kàn rè nào
Everyone gathers around to watch the spectacle.
More examples
孩子们好奇地跑去看热闹。hái zi men hào qí dì pǎo qù kàn rè nào
The children curiously ran to watch the spectacle.
Core concept
Stand outside a noisy or dramatic scene, taking in the excitement without becoming part of it.
Common phrases
去看热闹qù kàn rè nào
go watch the spectacle
围着看热闹wéi zhe kàn rè nào
gather around to watch the spectacle
看热闹的人kàn rè nào de rén
spectators
Similar words
围观wéi guān: Gathering around to watch an event from the outside.
凑热闹còu rè nào: Joining a lively scene or event to enjoy its excitement.
旁观páng guān: Standing by and watching without interfering.
观看guān kàn: Looking at something carefully and attentively.
Definition in Chinese
为满足好奇心而观看发生的热闹场面或争执，通常只是旁观而不介入或承担责任。wèi mǎn zú hào qí xīn ér guān kàn fā shēng de rè nào chǎng miàn huò zhēng zhí tōng cháng zhǐ shì páng guān ér bú jiè rù huò chéng dān zé rèn
Word origin
看热闹 (kànrènào, "watch the spectacle") joins 看 (kàn, "look") with 热闹 (rènao, "lively commotion"), forming the image of looking at a busy scene from the outside.
Usage tips
- For native English speakers, the key usage difference is tone: the expression can sound mildly critical because it portrays curiosity without useful action, not simply neutral observation.