Meaning of 瞧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to look at
- to see
- to see (a doctor)
- to visit
How to use 瞧
瞧 is a casual, spoken word for "look," common in northern Chinese and often used where 看 (kàn) would also work. It also means seeing a doctor or visiting someone, as in 瞧病 (qiáo bìng) or 瞧朋友. Example: 你瞧，下雪了。(Nǐ qiáo, xià xuě le.) Look, it's snowing.
瞧 has the eye 目 on the left and 焦 (jiāo) on the right, which hints at the sound qiáo. Picture an eye focusing sharply on something, like a beam of light brought to a focus.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 瞧 with 憔 (qiáo, as in 憔悴 "haggard") or 樵 (qiáo, "firewood"), which share the same right side. Only 瞧 has the eye 目, so check the left side. Also keep the second tone, not jiāo like 焦.
瞧 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.
瞧 qiáo · to look at · 17 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
Related words
Words that share a character with 瞧.
Questions about 瞧
What does 瞧 mean?
瞧 (qiáo) means "to look at; to see" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 瞧?
瞧 is made of 1 character: 瞧 (17 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 瞧 an HSK word?
Yes. 瞧 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 瞧 and 看?
Both mean to look, but 看 (kàn) is neutral and works in any register, including writing. 瞧 sounds more colloquial and lively, so it is less common in formal texts.
What does 瞧不起 mean, and is it rude?
瞧不起 (qiáobuqǐ) means to look down on someone or hold them in contempt. Saying 你瞧不起我 ("you look down on me") is a strong complaint, so use it carefully. Its opposite is 瞧得起 (qiáodeqǐ), to think highly of someone.