監 (jiān) - To oversee, supervise, monitor & to inspect

監Tone 1

jiān ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

嘉健

監 · jiān

To oversee, supervise, monitor;

to inspect;

to guard;

to act as a prison warden;

also refers to a government office or agency in ancient China.

To oversee, supervise, monitorto inspectto guard

Usage highlights

SuperviseMonitorPrisonSupervisorProctorSurveillance camera

Synonyms

  • 督— to supervise, oversee
  • 察— to observe, inspect
  • 管— to manage, control

Antonyms

  • 放— to release, let go
  • 纵— to indulge, let loose

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The teacher supervises the exam (监考).
  • This camera monitors the entrance (监控入口).
  • He works in the prison (他在监狱工作).
  • Quality control is important (质量控制很重要).

Collocations

  • Supervise(监督)
  • Monitor(监控)
  • Prison(监狱)
  • Supervisor(监工)
  • Proctor(监考)
  • Surveillance camera(监视器)

Idioms

  • To act as a warning to others(以儆效尤)
  • To keep a close watch on(严密监视)
  • Mutual supervision(互相监督)
  • Prison break(越狱)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, 监 referred to government offices responsible for supervision, like the Censorate (御史台) which monitored officials.
  • The character originally depicted a person looking into a vessel of water, reflecting the concept of observation and reflection.
  • Modern usage extends to technological monitoring and surveillance systems.

FAQ