阅 (yuè) - to inspect & to review

阅Tone 4

yuè ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

阅 · yuè

to inspect;

to review;

to read;

to experience;

to pass through.

to inspectto reviewto read

Usage highlights

Review documentsRead booksMilitary paradeLife experienceRead a newspaperInspection and approval

Synonyms

  • 读— to read
  • 览— to peruse, to look over
  • 看— to look at, to read

Antonyms

  • 写— to write
  • 闭— to close (as in closing a book, metaphorically stopping reading)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please review this document (阅文件).
  • He reads books every day (阅书).
  • The troops passed in review (阅兵).
  • I have experienced many hardships (阅历丰富).

Collocations

  • Review documents(阅文件)
  • Read books(阅书)
  • Military parade(阅兵)
  • Life experience(阅历)
  • Read a newspaper(阅报)
  • Inspection and approval(阅批)

Idioms

  • To have experienced the vicissitudes of life(饱经阅世)
  • To read ten thousand books(阅书万卷)
  • To review troops and inspect armor(阅兵秣马)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 阅 originally meant 'to inspect, calculate' and is composed of 门 (door/gate) and 兑 (exchange), suggesting checking accounts at a gate.
  • It is strongly associated with military reviews and inspections, as in 阅兵 (military parade).
  • In modern usage, it is commonly used for reading and reviewing texts, reflecting a shift from physical inspection to intellectual examination.

FAQ