觀

See also: 観, 观, and 覌

Translingual

Traditional	觀
Shinjitai	観
Simplified	观

Han character

觀 (Kangxi radical 147, 見+18, 25 strokes, cangjie input 廿土月山山 (TGBUU), four-corner 4621₀, composition ⿰雚見)

Descendants

• 観 观

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1138, character 14
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 34993
• Dae Jaweon: page 1605, character 12
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3677, character 5
• Unihan data for U+89C0

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Chinese

trad.		觀
simp.		观
alternative forms		観 覌

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (雚) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
觀	*koːn, *koːns
灌	*koːns
鸛	*koːns
瓘	*koːns
矔	*koːns, *kroːns
懽	*koːns, *qʰoːn
爟	*koːns
雚	*koːns
罐	*koːns
鑵	*koːns
歡	*qʰoːn
驩	*qʰoːn
貛	*qʰoːn
酄	*qʰoːn
獾	*qʰoːn
讙	*qʰoːn, *qʰon
嚾	*qʰoːns
權	*ɡron
顴	*ɡron
孉	*ɡron
蠸	*ɡron
虇	*kʰonʔ, *kʰons
勸	*kʰons

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *koːn, *koːns) : phonetic 雚 (OC *koːns) + semantic 見 (“see”).

Etymology

“To watch; to observe” (Pronunciation 1) > “watchtower; platform; temple” (Pronunciation 2).

Schuessler (2007) connects it with 侯 (OC *ɡoː, “target”) and 候 (OC *ɡoːs, “to watch; to be on the lookout for; to wait”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guān (guan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gun¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kôn
• Eastern Min (BUC): guăng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): koan

  (Teochew, Peng'im): guang¹ / guêng¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹kuoe

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guān
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guan
    • Wade–Giles: kuan¹
    • Yale: gwān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guan
    • Palladius: гуань (guanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯än⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gun¹
    • Yale: gūn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gun¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gun¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuːn⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kôn
    • Hakka Romanization System: gon´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kon²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: guăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koan
    • Tâi-lô: kuan
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koafn
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kuan³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kuan⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kuan⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: guang¹ / guêng¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kuang / kueng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ³³/, /kueŋ³³/

Note:

• guang1 - Shantou;
• guêng1 - Chaozhou.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹kuoe
    • MiniDict: kuoe^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kuoe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kuø⁵³/

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• Middle Chinese: kwan

Rime
Character	觀
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	桓 (62)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古丸切
Baxter	kwan
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuɑn/
Pan Wuyun	/kʷɑn/
Shao Rongfen	/kuɑn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwan/
Li Rong	/kuɑn/
Wang Li	/kuɑn/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuɑn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	guān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gun1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qʷˤar/

  (Zhengzhang): /*koːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	觀
Reading #	1/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	guān
Middle Chinese	‹ kwan ›
Old Chinese	/*C.qʷˁar/
English	look (v.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	觀
Reading #	1/2
No.	4476
Phonetic component	雚
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	官
Old Chinese	/*koːn/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 觀

1. to observe; to watch; to view; to see
2. to observe closely; to scrutinise; to investigate
3. to read; to peruse
4. to display; to show
5. to visit; to go sightseeing
6. to play; to enjoy
7. appearance; looks
8. sight; view; perspective
9. concept; outlook
10. a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 看 (“to look”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		視, 見, 看
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		看
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	看, 瞧, 瞅
	Taiwan	看
	Harbin	看, 瞧
	Malaysia	看
	Singapore	看
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	看
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	看
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	看
	Xi'an	看
	Xining	看
	Xuzhou	看, 望
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	看
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	看, 𧢭
	Wuhan	看, 睄, 瞄
	Guiyang	看, 望
	Guilin	看
	Liuzhou	看
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	看, 瞧
	Yangzhou	看, 望, 瞧
	Hefei	看, 望
Cantonese	Guangzhou	睇, 望
	Hong Kong	睇, 望
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	睇
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	睇
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	睇
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	睇
	Macau	睇
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	睇
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	睇
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	睇
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	睇
	Foshan	睇
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	睇
	Foshan (Shunde)	睇
	Foshan (Sanshui)	睇
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	睇
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	看
	Zhuhai (Qianshan)	睇
	Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)	睇
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	睇
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	睇
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	睇
	Taishan	睇, 望
	Kaiping (Chikan)	睇
	Enping (Niujiang)	睇
	Heshan (Yayao)	睇
	Dongguan	睇
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	睇
	Qingyuan	睇
	Fogang	睇
	Yingde (Hanguang)	睇
	Yangshan	望
	Lianshan (Butian)	看
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	望
	Shaoguan	睇
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	睇
	Renhua	睇
	Lechang	睇
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	睇
	Sihui	睇
	Guangning	睇
	Deqing	睇
	Huaiji	望
	Yunfu	睇
	Xinxing	睇
	Luoding	睇
	Yunan (Pingtai)	睇
	Yangjiang	看, 睇, 瞄
	Xinyi	睇
	Maoming (Xinpo)	睇
	Lianjiang	睇
	Nanning	睇
	Wuzhou	睇
	Yulin	睇
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	看
	Guiping	睇
	Mengshan (Xihe)	看
	Guigang (Nanjiang)	睇
	Beiliu (Tangliao)	睇
	Baise	睇
	Bobai	睇
	Lingshan	看
	Pubei	睇
	Qinzhou	睇
Beihai	睇
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	睇
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	睇
Ningming	睇
Hengzhou	睇
Hezhou (Pumen, Babu)	睇
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	睇
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	睇
Penang (Guangfu)	睇
Singapore (Guangfu)	睇
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	睇
Móng Cái	睇
Gan	Nanchang	看, 相, 望
	Lichuan	看
	Pingxiang	看
Hakka	Meixian	看, 睞
	Xingning	看
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	睇
	Huiyang	看
	Huidong (Daling)	看
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	看
	Boluo (Bendihua)	睇
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	看
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	看
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	睇
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	睇
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	睇
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	看, 睇
	Wengyuan	看
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	看
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	看
	Liannan	看
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	看
	Jiexi	看
	Luhe	看
	Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan)	䀴
	Changting	䀴, 望
	Wuping	看
	Wuping (Yanqian)	看
	Wuping (Pingyu)	看
	Liancheng	䀴
	Ninghua	䀴
	Yudu	看, 望
	Ningdu	看
	Ruijin	看
	Shicheng	看
	Shangyou (Shexi)	看
	Tonggu (Sandu)	看
	Ganzhou (Panlong)	看
	Dayu	看
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	看
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	看
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	看, 䀴
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	看, 䀴
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	䀴
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	䀴
	Hong Kong	看
	Yangxi (Tangkou)	看
	Yangchun (Sanjia)	睇
	Xinyi (Sihe)	睇
	Xinyi (Qianpai)	睇, 看
	Gaozhou (Xindong)	睇
	Maoming (Shalang, Dianbai)	睇, 看
	Huazhou (Xin'an)	看
	Lianjiang (Shijiao)	看
	Lianjiang (Qingping)	看
	Mengshan (Xihe)	看
	Luchuan	看
	Senai (Huiyang)	看
	Kuching (Hepo)	看
	Singapore (Dabu)	看
Huizhou	Jixi	看, 望
Jin	Taiyuan	看, 瞭
	Xinzhou	看
Northern Min	Jian'ou	覷
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	覷
	Songxi	䁐
	Zhenghe	覷
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	覷
	Jianyang	覷
	Wuyishan	覷
	Pucheng (Shibei)	覷
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	看, 覷
	Fuzhou (Changle)	覷
	Lianjiang	覷
	Fuqing	覷
	Pingtan	覷
	Yongtai	覷
	Minqing	覷
	Gutian	覷
	Pingnan	看
	Luoyuan	看
	Fu'an	睨
	Ningde	看
	Xiapu	看
	Zherong	看
	Shouning	望
	Zhouning	睨
	Fuding	看
	Matsu	看
	Sitiawan (Gutian)	看
Southern Min	Xiamen	看
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	看
	Quanzhou	看
	Jinjiang	看
	Nan'an	看
	Shishi	看
	Hui'an	看
	Anxi	看
	Yongchun	看
	Dehua	看
	Zhangzhou	看
	Zhangzhou (Longhai)	看
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	看
	Hua'an	看
	Nanjing	看
	Pinghe	看
	Zhangpu	看
	Yunxiao	看
	Zhao'an	看, 睇
	Dongshan	看
	Taipei	看
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	看
	Kaohsiung	看
	Tainan	看
	Kinmen	看
	Penghu (Magong)	看
	Penang (Hokkien)	看
	Singapore (Hokkien)	看
	Manila (Hokkien)	看
	Medan (Hokkien)	看
	Longyan	䁐
	Zhangping	看
	Zhangping (Yongfu)	看
	Datian	看
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	看
	Guilin (Biyange)	看
	Chaozhou	睇
	Raoping	睇
	Shantou	睇
	Shantou (Chenghai)	睇
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	睇
	Jieyang	睇
	Lufeng	睇
	Haifeng	睇
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	睇
	Singapore (Teochew)	睇
	Pontianak (Teochew)	睇
	Leizhou	䁐
	Wenchang	望, 䁐
	Haikou	望, 䁐
	Qionghai	望
	Singapore (Hainanese)	望
Puxian Min	Putian	看
	Xianyou	看
Central Min	Yong'an	䁐
	Sanming (Sanyuan)	䁐
	Sanming (Shaxian)	䁐
Zhongshan Min	Shaxi (Longdu)	望, 覷
	Sanxiang	睇
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	看
Shehua	Fu'an	睇
	Fuding	睇
	Luoyuan	睇
	Sanming	睇
	Shunchang	睇
	Hua'an	睇
	Guixi (Zhangping)	睇
	Cangnan	睇
	Jingning (Hexi)	睇
	Lishui	睇
	Longyou	睇
	Chaozhou	睇
	Fengshun	睇
Waxiang	Guzhang (Gaofeng)	望
	Yuanling (Shaojiwan)	望
	Luxi (Baisha)	望
Wu	Shanghai	看
	Shanghai (Chongming)	看
	Suzhou	看
	Wuxi	看
	Danyang	看, 望
	Hangzhou	看
	Ningbo	看, 相
	Wenzhou	眙, 張
	Lishui	望
	Jinhua	望
Xiang	Changsha	看
	Loudi	相
	Shuangfeng	看, 相

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guàn (guan⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gun³
• Eastern Min (BUC): guáng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): koàn / kòaⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): guang³ / guêng³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guàn
    • Wade–Giles: kuan⁴
    • Yale: gwàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guann
    • Palladius: гуань (guanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯än⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gun³
    • Yale: gun
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gun³
    • Guangdong Romanization: gun³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuːn³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: guáng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuɑŋ²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koàn
    • Tâi-lô: kuàn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koaxn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /kuan²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kuan⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kuan¹¹/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kòaⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: kuànn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kvoax
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kuã⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kuã²¹/

Note:

• koàn - literary;
• kòaⁿ - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: guang³ / guêng³
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kuàng / kuèng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ²¹³/, /kueŋ²¹³/

Note:

• guang3 - Shantou;
• guêng3 - Chaozhou.

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• Middle Chinese: kwanH

Rime
Character	觀
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	桓 (62)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古玩切
Baxter	kwanH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuɑnH/
Pan Wuyun	/kʷɑnH/
Shao Rongfen	/kuɑnH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwanH/
Li Rong	/kuɑnH/
Wang Li	/kuɑnH/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuɑnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	guàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gun3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qʷˤar-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*koːns/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	觀
Reading #	2/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	guàn
Middle Chinese	‹ kwanH ›
Old Chinese	/*C.qʷˁar-s/
English	watchtower
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	觀
Reading #	2/2
No.	4477
Phonetic component	雚
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	貫
Old Chinese	/*koːns/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 觀

1. (historical) watchtower on either side of a palace gate
2. (historical) platform; stage; dais; rostrum
3. (Taoism) Taoist temple
4. 20th hexagram of the I Ching
5. a surname

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Japanese

Shinjitai	観
Kyūjitai	觀

Kanji

觀

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 観)

1. Kyūjitai form of 観 (to see, observe; appearance)

Readings

• On (unclassified): かん (kan)
• Kun: みる (miru, 觀る)

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Korean

Hanja

觀 (eumhun 볼 관 (bol gwan))

1. see, observe, view
2. appearance

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Vietnamese

Han character

(deprecated template usage) 觀 (quan, quán)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.