览 meaning and stroke order
To look over, to inspect, to view, to perceive
How to write 览, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 览
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to look at
- to view
- to read
How 览 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. See.
见 gives the meaning.
Radical: 见 (to see), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 览
The bottom part is 见 (jiàn), which means to see, so 览 is about looking. Picture yourself standing over a wide scene and letting your eyes 见 everything at once: that is taking it all in with 览.
览 (lǎn) is rarely used alone in modern Chinese. It appears in two-character words about viewing, reading, or touring, such as 展览 (zhǎnlǎn, exhibition), 游览 (yóulǎn, to tour), and 浏览 (liúlǎn, to browse). Example: 我们周末去看展览。(Wǒmen zhōumò qù kàn zhǎnlǎn.) We are going to see an exhibition this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 览 (lǎn) with 监 (jiān, to supervise) because the tops look alike, but 览 has 见 at the bottom while 监 has 皿. Also keep the third tone, since lǎn is easy to confuse with 蓝 (lán, blue) or 懒 (lǎn, lazy) when listening.
Common words with 览
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
览 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 览
Learning 览 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 览
How many strokes are in 览?
览 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 览 mean?
览 (lǎn) means to look over, to inspect, to view, to perceive. A common word with it is 展览 (zhǎnlǎn), meaning "to put on display; to exhibit".
How do you pronounce 览?
览 is pronounced lǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 览?
The radical of 览 is 见, which carries the idea of "to see". Dictionaries list 览 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 览?
The traditional form of 览 is 覽. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 览 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 览 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 览 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 浏览 and 游览?
浏览 (liúlǎn) means to skim or browse, often used for reading quickly or looking at websites, as in 浏览器 (liúlǎnqì, browser). 游览 (yóulǎn) means to go sightseeing and visit a place in person.
Can I say 我览书 to mean I read a book?
No, this sounds wrong in modern Chinese. Use 看书 (kàn shū) or 读书 (dú shū). 览 is used inside set words like 阅览室 (yuèlǎnshì, reading room) rather than as a standalone verb.