看见

• Pinyin: kàn jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 看 (look) + 见 (see, perceive) — to look and successfully perceive

Meaning

To see; to catch sight of. Indicates successfully seeing something.

A result complement combining 看 (look) with 见 (perceive). Very similar to 看到 and often interchangeable. Slightly more colloquial. The negative form 没看见 (didn't see) is extremely common.

Examples

1. 你看见我的书了吗？ Have you seen my book?
2. 我没看见他。 I didn't see him.
3. 她看见一个朋友在那边。 She saw a friend over there.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, observation

Tone: conversational

Do Say

• 你看见了吗？(Did you see it?)
• 我看见他在那边。(I saw him over there.)

Don't Say

• 我正在看见他。(看见 indicates a completed result — don't use 正在 with it; say 我看见他了)

Origin & History

Compound of 看 (look) and 见 (see, perceive) — looking and successfully perceiving.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal