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March 24, 2026
视(眎)shì(shi4)
The character 视 (shì) means 'to look at', 'to regard', or 'to inspect'. It is commonly used in contexts related to observation, evaluation, or consideration, both in literal and metaphorical senses. This character often appears in phrases related to viewpoints or perspectives.
Strokes8Radical见Frequency#3594DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of perspective is significant, reflected in sayings about the importance of viewing things from multiple angles. 视 is often used in discussions about personal and societal viewpoints.
Memory Tip
Imagine an eye (representing 'look') peering through a window (a metaphor for 'inspect'). The character 视 looks like a person looking out, indicating observation, and the pronunciation 'shì' can be remembered by thinking of 'she' looking through the window.
Meanings of 视
shì(shi4)
1to look at
2to regard
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 视
视Simplified
眎Traditional
8Strokes
见Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#3594Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L1
Podcast: 视
Podcast: 视
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AI Study Notes for 视
Quick Contrast
观 (guān) — use 视 (shì) when emphasizing the act of looking or inspecting, while 观 (guān) focuses more on observing or viewing in a broader sense.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine an eye (representing 'look') peering through a window (a metaphor for 'inspect'). The character 视 looks like a person looking out, indicating observation, and the pronunciation 'shì' can be remembered by thinking of 'she' looking through the window.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone; 视 is pronounced with a falling tone (shì). It's often used in formal contexts, so it’s suitable for written and spoken communication in professional settings. Common collocations include 视力 (vision), 视野 (field of vision), and 观看 (to watch).
HSK Study Tips
Although 视 is not included in the HSK levels, it relates to other HSK words about perception and viewing, such as 看 (kàn) and 见 (jiàn). Focus on its usage in phrases to deepen understanding of observational contexts.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of perspective is significant, reflected in sayings about the importance of viewing things from multiple angles. 视 is often used in discussions about personal and societal viewpoints.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 视 with similar characters like 看 (kàn) or 见 (jiàn) when trying to express 'to see'. For example, saying '我视电影' (wǒ shì diànyǐng) instead of '我看电影' (wǒ kàn diànyǐng) is incorrect; use 看 for watching.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 视
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Grammar Patterns of 视
视 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
tā dié dié bù xiū dì shuō zháo mǒu gè wú liáo de diàn shì lián xù jù。
He was carrying on about some stupid television series.
2
从务实角度来说，音乐电视网的生存依赖于把年轻人市场卖给广告商。
cóng wù shí jiǎo dù lái shuō， ， yīn lè diàn shì wǎng de shēng cún yī lài yú bǎ nián qīng rén shì cháng mài gěi guǎng gào。
Pragmatically, MTV's survival depends on selling the youth market to advertisers.
3
人群为了被视为最值得拥有的物品涌入屋里。
rén qún wéi le bèi shì wéi zuì zhí dé yōng yǒu de wù pǐn yǒng rù wū lǐ。
The crowd moved indoors for what were deemed the most desirable items.
4
这样的地产是否可获得大笔收益还要视具体情形而定。
zhè yàng de dì chǎn shì fǒu kě huò dé dà bǐ shōu yì huán yào shì jù tǐ qíng xíng ér dìng。
Whether such properties are a good deal will depend on individual situations.
5
埋头工作的时候，你是否忽视了自己的婚姻？
mái tóu gōng zuò de shí hòu， ， nǐ shì fǒu hū shì le zì jǐ de hūn？
While slogging at work, have you neglected your marriage?
6
你忽视了你所承受的压力及它带给你的后果。
nǐ hū shì le nǐ suǒ chéng shòu de yā lì jí tā dài gěi nǐ de hòu guǒ。
You overlook the pressure you're under and what it does to you.
7
你可以转行从事影视戏剧业。
nǐ kě yǐ zhuǎn háng cóng shì yǐng shì xì jù yè。
You can move up to work in films and the theatre.
8
她的梦想是主持一档电视时尚生活节目。
tā de mèng xiǎng shì zhǔ chí yī dàng diàn shì shí shàng shēng huó jié mù。
Her dream is to present a lifestyle show on television.
9
雇主以种族或国籍为由歧视员工是非法的。
gù zhǔ yǐ zhǒng zú huò guó jí wéi yóu qí shì yuán gōng shì fēi fǎ de。
Discrimination by employers on the grounds of race and nationality was illegal.
10
他们关注的是公开的歧视，而不是种族主义的一些潜在问题。
tā mén guān zhù de shì gōng kāi de qí shì， ， ér bù shì zhǒng zú zhǔ yì de yī xiē qián zài wèn。
They focus on overt discrimination rather than insidious aspects of racism.
Cultural Notes for 视
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of perspective is significant, reflected in sayings about the importance of viewing things from multiple angles. 视 is often used in discussions about personal and societal viewpoints.
Word Family of 视
Words Containing This Character20
电视diànshìTV電視
视频shìpínvideo視頻
重视zhòngshìto value重視
监视jiānshìto monitor監視
视shìto look at視
电视台diànshìtáitelevision station電視臺
电视剧diànshìjùTV play電視劇
忽视hūshìto neglect忽視
视觉shìjuésight視覺
视线shìxiànline of sight視線
视为shìwéito view as視為
无视to ignore無視
电视机diànshìjītelevision set電視機
歧视qíshìdiscrimination歧視
视野shìyěhorizon視野
央视China Central Television (CCTV), abbr. for 中國中央電視台|中国中央电视台[ZhōngguóZhōngyāngDiànshìtái]央視
视力shìlìvision視力
注视zhùshìto gaze at注視
影视yǐngshìmovies and television影視
收视率shōushìlǜratings (of a TV show)收視率
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 电视 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 视
Yes, 视 is used in both formal and informal contexts, particularly when discussing perspectives or observations.
You can say 视某事为重要 (shì mǒu shì wéi zhòngyào), which means to regard something as important.
Yes, synonyms include 看 (kàn) for 'to see' and 观察 (guānchá) for 'to observe'.
