Chinese word

观望

Pronunciation

Pinyinguān wàng

Meaning

  • verbwait and see

Example

他暂时选择观望，不表态。tā zàn shí xuǎn zé guān wàng bù biǎo tài

He chooses to wait and see for now without taking a position.

Illustration for 观望 (wait and see)

More examples

面对不确定的市场，他决定先观望，暂缓投资。miàn duì bú què dìng de shì chǎng tā jué dìng xiān guān wàng zàn huǎn tóu zī

Facing an uncertain market, he decided to wait and see first and put off investing.

Core concept

A person stays on the sidelines, watching events unfold before choosing a position or taking action.

Common phrases

  • 暂时观望zàn shí guān wàng

    wait and see for now

  • 继续观望jì xù guān wàng

    continue to wait and see

  • 选择观望xuǎn zé guān wàng

    choose to wait and see

Similar words

等待děng dài: Wait for an event or result to happen before taking the next step.
犹豫yóu yù: Hesitate because a decision is difficult to make.
旁观páng guān: Stay uninvolved and watch something from the outside.
观察guān chá: Watch something carefully to notice its condition or changes.

Definition in Chinese

暂时不采取行动或明确表态，观察事态发展后再决定。zàn shí bù cái qǔ xíng dòng huò míng què biǎo tài guān chá shì tài fā zhǎn hòu zài jué dìng

Word origin

观 (guān, "observe") + 望 (wàng, "look into the distance") presents someone watching from afar before deciding what to do.

Usage tips

  • This verb has a formal register, making it more natural in reports, meetings, and public comments than in relaxed conversation.

Other meanings

  • watch developmentsverb
  • hold offverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 观望者guān wàng zhěwait-and-see observernoun
  • 观望期guān wàng qīwait-and-see periodnoun

Word lists with this word