adjective HSK 4
Traditional 常見
cháng jiàn
common · commonly seen · frequent

Meaning

常见 means something that is commonly encountered or frequently observed. It describes phenomena, situations, objects, or problems that occur regularly or are widely known. The word combines 常 (often) and 见 (to see), literally meaning 'often seen'.

Usage

常见 typically appears before nouns to describe common types or categories of things, such as 常见问题 (common problems) or 常见疾病 (common diseases). It's a neutral, formal-leaning term used in both spoken and written Chinese. Often used in informational or educational contexts to categorize typical examples.

Examples

  1. 01
    感冒是一种常见的疾病。
    Gǎn mào shì zhǒng cháng jiàn de bìng.
    A cold is a common illness.
  2. 02
    这是学习中文时的常见错误。
    Zhè shì xué Zhōng wén shí de cháng jiàn cuò .
    This is a common mistake when learning Chinese.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 常见问题
    cháng jiàn wèn
    common problems, frequently asked questions (FAQ)
  • 常见
    cháng jiàn bìng
    common illness
  • 常见
    zuì cháng jiàn
    most common
  • 常见
    cháng jiàn
    not common, uncommon

Antonyms

Origin

Formed by combining 常 (often/frequent) with 见 (to see), creating a straightforward compound meaning 'frequently seen' or 'commonly encountered'.

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