(jiān) - Jian — to spy on & to peep

Tone 1

jiān | 19 strokes | radical:

· jiān

Jian — to spy on;

to peep;

to observe secretly;

to watch stealthily.

Jian — to spy onto peepto observe secretly

Usage highlights

to spy onto observe secretlyto peep atto watch stealthilysecret observationto peep through a crack

Synonyms

  • to peep; to spy
  • to watch for; to wait for an opportunity
  • to observe; to examine

Antonyms

  • to show openly; to display
  • to reveal; to expose

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was caught spying on the meeting (覸视).
  • The detective observed the suspect from a distance (覸察).
  • She peeked through the keyhole (从钥匙孔覸看).

Collocations

  • to spy on(覸视)
  • to observe secretly(覸察)
  • to peep at(覸看)
  • to watch stealthily(覸窥)
  • secret observation(覸伺)
  • to peep through a crack(覸隙)

Idioms

  • To spy and peep(覸视窥伺)
  • To observe secretly and wait for an opportunity(覸隙伺机)
  • To peep through cracks and observe through holes(覸隙窥孔)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character contains the 'see' radical (見) combined with 間 (space between), suggesting looking through gaps.
  • Historically used in contexts of surveillance, intelligence gathering, and covert observation.
  • Appears in classical texts describing military reconnaissance and secret monitoring.

FAQ