观察力 (guān chá lì)

noun HSK 5

Traditional 觀察力

guān chá lì

observational ability · power of observation · observational skills

Meaning

观察力 refers to a person's ability to notice and perceive details in their surroundings. It encompasses the skill of carefully watching and analyzing situations, people, or objects to gather information. This term is commonly used in psychology, education, and everyday contexts when discussing someone's attentiveness and perceptiveness.

Usage

This word is used in both formal and informal contexts. It often appears in discussions about personal qualities, job requirements (especially for detectives, scientists, artists), child development, and cognitive abilities. Native speakers frequently use it when praising someone's attention to detail or when discussing skills needed for certain professions.

Examples

01
这个侦探的观察力非常敏锐，能注意到别人忽略的细节。
Zhège zhēn tàn de guān chá lì fēi cháng mǐn ruì, néng zhù yì dào bié rén hū lüè de xì jié.
This detective has very keen observational skills and can notice details that others overlook.
02
家长应该从小培养孩子的观察力和好奇心。
Jiā zhǎng yīng gāi cóng xiǎo péi yǎng hái zi de guān chá lì hé hào qí xīn.
Parents should cultivate children's observational ability and curiosity from an early age.

Characters

Common collocations

观察力强
guān chá lì qiáng
to have strong observational skills
观察力敏锐
guān chá lì mǐn ruì
to have keen observation
培养观察力
péi yǎng guān chá lì
to cultivate observational ability
提高观察力
tí gāo guān chá lì
to improve one's observational skills

Origin

The word combines 观察 (to observe) with 力 (power/ability), literally meaning 'the power of observation.' This follows a productive Chinese word formation pattern where 力 is added to verbs to create nouns denoting abilities.