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睇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
睇dìto glance, to look, to starevg, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #89583, Very Hard
睇dìto look down upon (classical)unknown, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #89583, Very Hard
睇dìto seeunknown, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #89583, Very Hard
睇dìto look at (Cantonese)unknown, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #89583, Very Hard
睇dìMandarin equivalent: 看[kan4]unknown, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #89583, Very Hard
dì(di4) T4
  1. 1to glance, to look, to stare
  2. 2to look down upon (classical)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

睇dì(di4)

The character 睇 (dì) primarily means 'to glance' or 'to look.' It is often used in colloquial contexts, particularly in Cantonese, where it is synonymous with the Mandarin 看 (kàn). While it can also imply looking down upon someone in classical literature, its modern usage is more straightforward.

Strokes12Radical目Frequency#89583DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Cantonese-speaking regions, such as Hong Kong, 睇 is commonly used in everyday conversations, highlighting the importance of regional dialects in understanding Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big eye (目) looking down (俯) at something, symbolizing both 'to see' and 'to look down upon.' The character 睇 consists of the eye radical 目, representing sight, and the rest gives a sense of direction or focus.

Meanings of 睇

dì(di4)
1to glance, to look, to stare
2to look down upon (classical)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 睇

睇Simplified
12Strokes
目Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 睇

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Podcast: 睇

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AI Study Notes for 睇

Quick Contrast

看 (kàn) - use 睇 (dì) in colloquial Cantonese contexts, while 看 (kàn) is more standard in Mandarin.

Usage Notes

Be careful when using 睇, as it is primarily a Cantonese term and may not be understood by all Mandarin speakers. It's informal, so it's best used in casual conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 睇电视 (to watch TV) and 睇书 (to read a book).

HSK Study Tips

Though not included in HSK lists, understanding 睇 can enhance your grasp of Cantonese expressions. Focus on its usage in conversational contexts to broaden your understanding of regional variations of Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 睇 with 看, assuming they are interchangeable in all contexts. For example, saying '我想睇书' in a Mandarin setting might confuse native speakers; instead, use '我想看书'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 睇

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Etymology of 睇

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)弟
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 睇

  1. 1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half弟 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayeye
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 睇? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 睇?

Decomposition of 睇

IDS Structure⿰目弟
睇Full Character
=
目mu4
left
弟di4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 睇?

How to say to glance, to look, to stare in Chinese

“to glance, to look, to stare” in Chinese is睇dì

The character 睇 (dì) primarily means 'to glance' or 'to look.' It is often used in colloquial contexts, particularly in Cantonese, where it is synonymous with the Mandarin 看 (kàn). While it can also imply looking down upon someone in classical literature, its modern usage is more straightforward.

When to use 睇

Be careful when using 睇, as it is primarily a Cantonese term and may not be understood by all Mandarin speakers. It's informal, so it's best used in casual conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include 睇电视 (to watch TV) and 睇书 (to read a book).

睇 or something close to it

看 (kàn) - use 睇 (dì) in colloquial Cantonese contexts, while 看 (kàn) is more standard in Mandarin.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 睇 with 看, assuming they are interchangeable in all contexts. For example, saying '我想睇书' in a Mandarin setting might confuse native speakers; instead, use '我想看书'.

Write 睇

睇

Practice writing 睇 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 睇

Words Containing This Character1
睇dìto see
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 睇 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 睇

No, 睇 is primarily a Cantonese word; in Mandarin, the equivalent is 看.

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