瞧

• Pinyin: qiáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 瞧 = 目 (eye) + 焦 (burnt, phonetic), to look/see

Meaning

To look; to see; to glance. A colloquial word for looking at something.

More casual than 看. Common in spoken Chinese: 瞧一瞧 (take a look), 瞧不起 (look down on), 你瞧 (look here/see). Often implies casual or brief viewing.

Examples

1. 你瞧，外面下雪了！ Look, it's snowing outside!
2. 他瞧了我一眼，什么也没说。 He glanced at me and said nothing.
3. 大家都瞧着他，等他发言。 Everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to speak.

Usage Guide

Context: conversation, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 瞧你说的。(Listen to what you're saying./That's ridiculous.)
• 让我瞧瞧。(Let me take a look.)

Don't Say

• 我瞧了这本书。(For reading books, use 看 not 瞧 — 瞧 is for glancing)

Origin & History

目 (eye) + 焦 (burnt, phonetic). To look with one's eyes.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal