n.
television; TV
电视
television; TV
Literally 'electric vision' (电 electricity + 视 vision/sight). Television set or TV broadcast; measure word is 台 (tái). Pair with 看电视.
Common Usage & Traps
- 看电视 — watch TV
- 开电视 — turn on the TV
- 买电视 — buy a TV
- 在电视上 — on TV
- 电视机 — TV set
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看电视机看电视You watch shows, not the plastic box. 看电视机 sounds like staring at the appliance itself.
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看一个电视看电视Watching TV is an activity, so you don't count one set with 一个. Use 看电视 for the general activity.
What's the difference between 电视 and 电视机?
电视 covers the shows or the set; 电视机 is only the physical machine.
Use 看电视 for watching shows or TV in general. 电视机 points to the actual box in your living room. If you say 看电视机, it sounds like you are staring at the appliance, not watching a program. In daily speech, people usually say 看电视, 开电视, and 买电视.
“看电视，他是谁？” (Watching TV, who is he?)
“看电视，他是谁？” (Watching TV, who is he?)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Watching shows | 看电视 | 看电视机 |
Why is it 看电视 and not 看一个电视?
Watching TV is an activity, so you don't count one TV with 一个.
Watching TV is an activity, so you don't count one set. English may add an article, but Chinese drops it for general activities. 看一个电视 sounds like you are watching one physical television set. If you mean the activity, say 看电视.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Watching TV in general | 看电视 | 看一个电视 |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
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电视 新闻说，附近的森林大火已经烧了三天。
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？
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 。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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