Meaning of 监督
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to supervise; to oversee; to inspect
How to use 监督
监督 works as a verb meaning to supervise or oversee, and as a noun for supervision or the person who supervises. It often appears in formal contexts like government, work, or public oversight. Example: 老师监督学生考试。(Lǎoshī jiāndū xuéshēng kǎoshì.) The teacher supervises the students during the exam.
Both characters carry the idea of watching over. 监 (jiān) also appears in 监狱 (jiānyù, prison) and 监视 (jiānshì, to keep watch), and 督 (dū) has 目 (eye) at the bottom, so picture an eye keeping careful watch.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 监督 with 监视 (jiānshì). 监督 means overseeing that rules are followed, while 监视 means secretly or closely watching someone, often with suspicion. Also note that 监 is first tone here, not fourth tone jiàn as in 太监 (tàijiàn).
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
监 jiān · to supervise · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
督 dū · to supervise · 13 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Related words
Words that share a character with 监督.
| 总监 | zǒngjiān | head; director (of an organizational unit) |
| 基督教 | Jīdūjiào | Christianity |
| 监测 | jiāncè | to monitor |
| 监狱 | jiānyù | prison |
| 监视 | jiānshì | to monitor; to keep a close watch over |
| 监控 | jiānkòng | to monitor |
| 监管 | jiānguǎn | to oversee; to take charge of |
| 监护 | jiānhù | to act as a guardian |
| 监察 | jiānchá | to supervise; to control |
| 督促 | dūcù | to supervise and urge completion of a task; to urge on |
| 督察 | dūchá | to supervise; to superintend |
| 监禁 | jiānjìn | to imprison; to jail |
Questions about 监督
What does 监督 mean?
监督 (jiāndū) means "to supervise; to oversee; to inspect" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 监督?
监督 is made of 2 characters: 监 (10 strokes), 督 (13 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 监督 an HSK word?
Yes. 监督 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 监督 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 监督 is written 監督.
Can 监督 mean director in a film or sports context?
In Mainland Mandarin, a film director is 导演 (dǎoyǎn), and a team coach is 教练 (jiàoliàn). The use of 监督 for a director or manager comes from Japanese, and you may see it in some translated or Taiwanese contexts. In everyday Mainland usage, stick to the meaning of supervise.
How is 监督 different from 管理 (guǎnlǐ)?
管理 means to manage or run something directly, like a company or a team. 监督 means to watch over someone else's work to make sure it is done properly. A manager 管理 the staff, while an inspector 监督 the process.