常见

• Pinyin: cháng jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 常 (cháng) — often, frequent, regular; 见 (jiàn) — see, meet, encounter

Meaning

Common; frequently seen. Describes things that are encountered or observed often.

An adjective-verb compound used to describe objects, phenomena, problems, or words that appear frequently in daily life. Often used in informational or educational contexts.

Examples

1. 感冒是一种常见的病。 A cold is a common illness.
2. 这个词在中文里很常见。 This word is very common in Chinese.
3. 下雨在这个城市很常见。 Rain is very common in this city.

Usage Guide

Context: descriptions, education, general knowledge

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 这是一个很常见的问题。(This is a very common question.)
• 这种花在南方很常见。(This kind of flower is very common in the south.)

Don't Say

• Do not confuse 常见 (common, frequently seen) with 常常 (often, used for actions). 常见的病 (a common illness) vs 常常生病 (often gets sick).

Origin & History

Compound of 常 (often, frequent) and 见 (see, encounter). Literally 'frequently seen.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal