看护

• Pinyin: kān hù
• Hanzi breakdown: 看 = hand (扌) over eye (目) — to watch; 护 = 扌(hand) + 户 (door) — to protect

Meaning

To nurse; to look after; to care for; nurse/caregiver.

Can be a verb meaning to care for or nurse someone (especially patients, elderly, or children), or a noun meaning a nurse/caregiver. Collocates with 病人 (patient), 老人 (elderly), 孩子 (children), 专业 (professional).

Examples

1. 她请假在家看护生病的母亲，已经一个多月没上班了。 She took leave to care for her sick mother at home and hasn't been to work for over a month.
2. 医院的看护人手不足，正在招聘有经验的护工。 The hospital is short on nursing staff and is recruiting experienced caregivers.
3. 年幼的孩子需要专人看护，不能让他们独自在家。 Young children need someone to look after them — they shouldn't be left home alone.

Usage Guide

Context: healthcare, family, caregiving

Tone: caring

Do Say

• 谁来看护老人？(Who will look after the elderly person?)
• 她是专业的看护。(She is a professional caregiver.)

Don't Say

• 我看护了一场电影。(看护 is for caring for people — for watching movies, use 看了)

Origin & History

看 (to watch, look after) + 护 (to protect, care for). To watch over and protect.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal