Chinese Word
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verb HSK 4
Traditional 閱覽
yuè lǎn
to read · to peruse · to look over (documents/materials)

Meaning

阅览 means to read or examine written materials, typically in a formal or systematic way. It's more formal than 看 (kàn) and often used in contexts involving libraries, documents, or official materials. The word emphasizes careful reading or browsing through materials rather than casual glancing.

Usage

阅览 is commonly used in formal or written contexts, especially when referring to reading in libraries, examining documents, or reviewing materials. It appears frequently in compound words like 阅览室 (reading room). Native speakers use it when they want to sound more formal or professional than simply saying 读 or 看.

Examples

  1. 01
    图书馆的阅览室每天早上八点开放。
    Tú shū guǎn de yuè lǎn shì měi tiān zǎo shang bā diǎn kāi fàng.
    The library's reading room opens at 8 AM every day.
  2. 02
    这些历史文献可以在档案馆免费阅览。
    Zhè xiē lì shǐ wén xiàn kě yǐ zài dàng àn guǎn miǎn fèi yuè lǎn.
    These historical documents can be perused for free at the archives.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 阅览室
    yuè lǎn shì
    reading room
  • 供人阅览
    gòng rén yuè lǎn
    for people to read/peruse
  • 阅览资料
    yuè lǎn zī liào
    to peruse materials
  • 开放阅览
    kāi fàng yuè lǎn
    open for reading/viewing

Origin

Both characters relate to viewing or examining. 阅 (yuè) originally meant to inspect or examine, while 览 (lǎn) means to look at broadly. Together they emphasize thorough, careful reading.

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