Common Usage & Traps
- 电视 — television
- 看电视 — watch TV
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视电视看电视视 is not a standalone verb for watching. The fixed HSK 1 phrase is 看电视.
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看视看电视 / 看看视 is not a normal HSK 1 word. Use 看 for 'watch/look' and 电视 for 'TV'.
视
Origin & Mnemonic:
To look at a sacred sign or revelation shown at a spirit altar. To see, watch, view, regard, or inspect something. A spirit/ritual marker (礻) beside an eye (见), watching for a sacred sign.
Why do Chinese people say 看电视 but not 视电视?
视 is a bound morpheme in HSK 1; 看 is the standalone verb for watching.
At HSK 1, 视 does not work alone as the main verb 'watch'. It appears inside fixed words like 电视. To say 'watch TV', use the verb 看 plus the noun 电视: 看电视. 视电视 is wrong because 视 cannot take the object 电视 as a verb here.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Verb for watching | 看 (kàn) | 视 (shì) alone |
| Correct phrase | 看电视 (kàn diànshì) | 视电视 (shì diànshì) |
| Role of 视 | Bound morpheme in 电视 | Free verb meaning 'watch' |
What is the difference between 视 and 见?
视 is bound and means sight/vision; 见 can stand alone and means see/meet.
视 (shì) is not used alone as a verb in HSK 1. It mainly appears in compounds like 电视. 见 (jiàn) can stand alone as a verb meaning 'see' or 'meet', as in 见朋友. So 视 and 见 look related, but their HSK 1 usage is different: 视 is bound, 见 is more independent.
| Dimension | 视 (shì) | 见 (jiàn) |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | sight, vision; regard | to see, to meet |
| Standalone verb? | No | Yes |
| HSK 1 example | 电视 (television) | 见朋友 (meet a friend) |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Join a shopper on a quick trip to the store. You'll learn simple words for shopping and feelings in this easy-to-follow story.
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我想买 电视 。
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这个商店没有我想买的 电视 。
Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.
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看 电视 ，他是谁？
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