Meaning of 主观
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- subjective
How to use 主观
主观 describes opinions, judgments, or impressions based on personal feelings rather than facts. It often appears with words like 判断 (pànduàn, judgment) or 看法 (kànfǎ, view), and it can work as an adjective or before a noun. Example: 这只是我的主观看法。(Zhè zhǐ shì wǒ de zhǔguān kànfǎ.) This is just my subjective opinion.
主 (zhǔ) means master or main, as in 主人 (zhǔrén), and 观 (guān) means to view, as in 观点 (guāndiǎn). A view where you are the master is a subjective one: you see things your own way.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 主观 with 主意 (zhǔyi), since both start with 主 and relate to thinking. 主意 is a noun meaning an idea or plan, while 主观 describes a way of judging. Also note that 观 is first tone (guān), not fourth tone like 惯 (guàn).
主观 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
主 zhǔ · owner · 5 strokes
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观 guān · to observe · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 主观.
| 主人 | zhǔrén | owner; host |
| 主要 | zhǔyào | main; principal; major; primary |
| 观点 | guāndiǎn | point of view; viewpoint |
| 参观 | cānguān | to visit (a place, e.g. museum or factory); to tour; to look around |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
| 观众 | guānzhòng | spectators; audience; visitors (to an exhibition etc) |
| 观察 | guānchá | to observe; to watch; to survey |
| 主任 | zhǔrèn | director; head |
| 主动 | zhǔdòng | to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord |
| 观看 | guānkàn | to watch; to view |
| 主持 | zhǔchí | to take charge of; to manage or direct |
| 乐观 | lèguān | optimistic; hopeful |
Questions about 主观
What does 主观 mean?
主观 (zhǔguān) means "subjective" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 主观?
主观 is made of 2 characters: 主 (5 strokes), 观 (6 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 主观 an HSK word?
Yes. 主观 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 主观 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 主观 is written 主觀.
What is the opposite of 主观?
The opposite is 客观 (kèguān), meaning objective. The two are often used together, for example 主观和客观 (zhǔguān hé kèguān), subjective and objective.
Is calling someone 主观 a criticism?
Often, yes. Saying 你太主观了 (nǐ tài zhǔguān le) means you are too subjective or biased, which suggests the person ignores facts. In neutral contexts, like 主观感受 (zhǔguān gǎnshòu, personal feelings), it is not negative.