verb / noun HSK 5
Traditional 監督
jiān
to supervise · to oversee · to monitor · supervision

Meaning

监督 means to watch over, supervise, or monitor someone or something to ensure proper conduct or compliance. It carries a sense of authority and responsibility, often used in contexts of governance, quality control, or guiding others to follow rules and standards.

Usage

Commonly used in formal or official contexts such as government oversight, workplace management, and parental guidance. Can be used as both a verb (监督工作 'supervise work') and a noun (接受监督 'accept supervision'). Often appears in phrases about accountability and quality assurance.

Examples

  1. 01
    政府部门应该接受公众的监督
    Zhèng mén yīng gāi jiē shòu gōng zhòng de jiān .
    Government departments should accept public supervision.
  2. 02
    老师监督学生完成作业。
    Lǎo shī jiān xué shēng wán chéng zuò .
    The teacher supervises students to complete their homework.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 监督机制
    jiān zhì
    supervision mechanism
  • 接受监督
    jiē shòu jiān
    to accept supervision
  • 监督检查
    jiān jiǎn chá
    supervision and inspection
  • 加强监督
    jiā qiáng jiān
    to strengthen supervision

Antonyms

Origin

Both characters independently mean 'to supervise.' 监 originally depicted looking down into a basin of water (as a mirror), suggesting observation. 督 combines elements suggesting watching and urging, reinforcing the idea of active oversight.

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