v.
to see; to catch sight of
看见
Common Usage & Traps
- 看见你 — see you
- 看见朋友 — see a friend
- 没看见 — didn't see
- 看见了吗 — did you see?
- 看见一个人 — see a person
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不看见他没看见他看见 is about a result, so not-seeing uses 没, not 不.
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看见电影看电影Watching a movie is an activity; 看见 means you caught sight of something.
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你看见吗你看见了吗？Result questions usually need 了 or 没有, not bare 吗.
What's the difference between 看 and 看见?
看 is the deliberate action of looking; 看见 is the result of visual contact.
看 is the deliberate action of looking, reading, or watching. 见 is the result piece: actual visual contact. So 我看了，但是没看见 means I looked, but didn't see anything. Use 看 for the activity, and 看见 for the outcome.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Deliberate action | 看书 / 看电影 | 看见书 / 看见电影 for reading or watching |
| Actual result | 看见你 / 没看见他 | 看你 for catching sight of you |
| Classic contrast | 我看了，但是没看见 | 我看了，但是不看见 |
Why is 我不看见他 wrong when I mean 'I didn't see him'?
Say 没看见 for 'didn't see'; 不看见 breaks because 看见 is a result, not a habit.
没 is for things that didn't happen, like 没看见他. 不 is for habits or choices, like 我不看电视. Since seeing someone is a result, not a regular choice, 不看见他 sounds wrong. Use 我没看见他.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Didn't see him | 我没看见他 | 我不看见他 |
| Didn't see it | 没看见 | 不看见 |
| Question about result | 你看见了吗？ | 你不看见吗？ |
Can I say 我看见电影了 for 'I watched a movie'?
Watching a movie is 看电影; 看见电影 sounds like you glimpsed a movie screen, not watched it.
看电影 is the normal phrase for watching a movie, like an activity. 看见 means you caught sight of something by chance. If you mean you watched a whole movie, say 我昨天看电影了, not 我昨天看见电影了. Use 看见 for quick visual contact: 我看见他了.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Watch a movie | 看电影 | 看见电影 |
| Finished activity | 我昨天看电影了 | 我昨天看见电影了 |
| Catch sight of someone | 我看见他了 | 我看他了 |
Why does 你看见吗 sound wrong, and should it be 你看见了吗?
Result questions need 了 or 没有: say 你看见了吗？ or 你看见没有？
看见 is about a result, so asking if it happened often needs 了 or 没有. 你看见了吗？ asks 'Did you see it?' 你看见吗？ sounds like a missing piece. In casual speech, 你看见没有？ works too. The dynamic word 了1 marks the result as done.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Did you see it? | 你看见了吗？ | 你看见吗？ |
| Casual variant | 你看见没有？ | 你不看见吗？ |
| Statement | 我看见他了 | 我看见他吗 |
Appears in Stories 9 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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我 看见 超市有大苹果，也有小苹果。
Before you read: this is a short rhyming poem. You will meet a doctor who asks about seeing and hearing. Try to spot words you already know!
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生病看医生， 看见 看不见？
This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.
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老先生 看见 高先明，知道他不是中国学生。
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高先明 看见 一个中国同学安小语，也是手里少五块钱，不能上车。
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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小李站在窗户旁边，能 看见 远处的天都变成黄色的了。
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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他也在中为公司工作，但是因为周一我来公司的时候，他去上海了，所以我没有 看见 他。
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
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大中到饭店前， 看见 老先生一个人坐在桌子前，在看外边。
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老先生 看见 大中来了，非常高兴。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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我坐他对面， 看见 他把那块肉夹起来，放到了骨碟边沿，跟那根早就夹过来，但其实没吃的青菜并排摆着，整整齐齐。
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
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一天，白天明在学校大门口前边 看见 有人写了找猫的话：“我想找一只大白猫。
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谁 看见 我的大白猫大白，请打电话给三号房间。”
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
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看见 老师说您好！
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