to visit; to tour (a place)
HSK level
参观 is written with 14 strokes (参: 8, 观: 6). The animation replays automatically.
参观 (cānguān) is a verb meaning 'to visit and look around a place' — a museum, factory, school, exhibition, or historic site — usually to observe and learn.
It combines 参 ('to take part / consult') and 观 ('to view / observe'). It is neutral in register and standard in tourism, education, and official contexts. The crucial difference from English 'visit' is that 参观 is only for visiting places and institutions, not people: you 参观 a museum, but you 看望 or 拜访 a person.
So 'I visited my grandmother' can never be 参观; that would be 看望奶奶. 参观 takes a place as its object directly (参观博物馆) and often implies a guided or purposeful tour where you view exhibits rather than just passing through.
Character by character
Memory hook: 参 (take part in) + 观 (viewing) — you join a tour to view a place.
周末我们去参观了故宫。
Zhōumò wǒmen qù cānguān le Gùgōng.
On the weekend we visited the Forbidden City.
neutral
学生们正在参观科技馆。
Xuéshengmen zhèngzài cānguān kējìguǎn.
The students are touring the science museum.
neutral
欢迎大家来参观我们的公司。
Huānyíng dàjiā lái cānguān wǒmen de gōngsī.
Welcome everyone to tour our company.
written
他带我参观了整个校园。
Tā dài wǒ cānguān le zhěnggè xiàoyuán.
He showed me around the whole campus.
spoken
游览 is for sightseeing scenic spots and landscapes for pleasure (游览长城). 参观 is for viewing institutions or exhibits to observe/learn (参观博物馆). 游览 = leisure touring; 参观 = purposeful inspection.
看望 means to visit a person (a friend, relative, patient). 参观 is only for places. You 看望 grandma but 参观 the museum — never the reverse.
观察 means to observe closely/study something. 参观 means to tour a place. They share 观 but differ: 参观 is going somewhere to look around; 观察 is scrutinizing.
Acquire it by listening
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