common; frequently seen
常见
common; frequently seen
Common or frequently seen (常 often + 见 see); describes everyday phenomena, common words, or familiar sights.
Common Usage & Traps
- 很常见 — very common
- 最常见 — most common
- 常见问题 — common question; FAQ
- 常见病 — common illness
- 常见错误 — common mistake
- 不常见 — not common; uncommon
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我常见他我经常见他常见 describes things that are common. It cannot take a person as an action.
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我们常见我们常见面常见 alone means common. To say you meet often, use 常 or 经常 with 见面.
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没常见不常见Use 不 to negate a description. 没 sounds wrong with 常见.
Why does 我常见他 sound wrong when you mean 'I often see him'?
常见 describes things, not actions; use 经常见他 for 'I often see him'.
常见 means common or often seen. It describes things, not what you do. If you often see him, say 我经常见他. 经常 goes before the action 见. You cannot say 我常见他, because 常见 is not an action verb.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Seeing someone often | 我经常见他。 | 我常见他。 |
| Seeing something often | 我经常见到这种事。 | 我常见这种事。 |
In 我们常见面, are you using the word 常见 or just 常 plus 见面?
常见面 is 常 plus 见面, not 常见 plus 面.
In 我们常见面, the break is 常 + 见面. 常 means often, and 见面 means meet. 常见 alone means common or often seen. So 我们常见面 means we meet often. 我们常见 alone means we are common, which is not what you want.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Word break | 常 + 见面 | 常见 + 面 |
| Meeting often | 我们常见面。 | 我们常见。 |
| Describing a thing | 这种事很常见。 | 这种事很常见面。 |
Why do people say 不常见 but not 没常见?
Use 不常见, never 没常见, because 常见 describes how something is, not a finished action.
常见 describes a situation or thing that is common. To say it is not common, use 不常见. 没常见 sounds wrong because 没 usually talks about actions that did not happen. For a plain description, use 不.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Negating 常见 | 不常见 | 没常见 |
| Full sentence | 这种情况不常见。 | 这种情况没常见。 |
| Talking about not seeing something | 我没见过这种情况。 | 我没常见这种情况。 |
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Before you start learning Chinese, master the most important phrases: greetings. This short dialogue shows you how to say hello and goodbye, and how to respond politely.
- Scene #1
最 常见 ！
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