Learn a Chinese Character - 览

1. Character Basics

Radical: 见 (to see; to look)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lǎn (Third tone)

3. Meaning

To see; to look at; to view; to read; to browse; to inspect; to survey; to glance at

4. Common Words

• 浏览 (liúlǎn) - to browse; to skim through; to scan
• 展览 (zhǎnlǎn) - exhibition; display; show
• 游览 (yóulǎn) - to visit; to tour; to sightsee
• 阅览 (yuèlǎn) - to read; to peruse
• 一览 (yīlǎn) - to get a panoramic view; at a glance
• 浏览量 (liúlǎnliàng) - page views; traffic volume
• 展览馆 (zhǎnlǎnguǎn) - exhibition hall; museum
• 博览会 (bólǎnhuì) - exposition; fair

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "览" is primarily used as a verb meaning "to see" or "to look at". It is often combined with other characters to form compound words related to viewing, reading, or examining.

Grammar Patterns:

• 浏+览: 浏览 (to browse; to skim through)
• 展+览: 展览 (exhibition; display)
• 游+览: 游览 (to visit; to tour)
• 阅+览: 阅览 (to read; to peruse)
• 一+览: 一览 (to get a panoramic view; at a glance)
• 浏览+量: 浏览量 (page views; traffic volume)
• 展览+馆: 展览馆 (exhibition hall; museum)
• 博览+会: 博览会 (exposition; fair)

6. Cultural Background

The character "览" has deep cultural significance in Chinese history, particularly in relation to literature, art, and scholarship.

Throughout Chinese history, there has been a strong tradition of compiling and preserving knowledge through various forms of books and documents. The act of reading and examining these materials, often denoted by the character "览", was highly valued in Chinese culture.

In ancient China, scholars would spend years studying and browsing through extensive collections of books, and the ability to read widely and deeply was considered a mark of wisdom and erudition.

The character is also associated with the concept of gaining broad knowledge and perspective, as seen in expressions like "一览众山小" (yī lǎn zhòng shān xiǎo), which means "all mountains look small from this height" and conveys the idea of gaining a comprehensive view.

In modern times, with the advent of digital technology, the concept of "览" has expanded to include browsing the internet and digital content, while still retaining its core meaning of viewing and examining.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "览" (lǎn) consists of two parts:

• The radical "见" (jiàn, to see) at the bottom, which is directly related to the character's meaning of seeing or viewing
• The component "监" (jiān, to supervise; monitor) at the top, which provides the pronunciation

To remember the character, think of it as "supervising or monitoring (监) something by seeing (见) it".

Associate the character with common words like "浏览" (liúlǎn, to browse) and visualize flipping through pages of a book or scrolling through a screen, which helps connect the character's appearance to its meaning.

Break down the character into its components and practice writing it to reinforce your memory of its structure and stroke count.

Remember that the radical "见" is always at the bottom, which helps with proper stroke order when writing the character.