Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 给我看 translates to 'show me' and is used in informal situations among friends and family. Adding 请 (qǐng) at the beginning of the phrase transforms the command into a polite request, creating 请给我看, which means 'please show me'. In formal settings, the phrase 请让我看看 is also used as a polite request to have a look at something.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Simplified Chinese characters are used in mainland China and Singapore.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the verb reduplication 看看 (kànkan) to create 给我看看 makes the request sound softer and more casual, often implying 'take a quick look'. Similarly, the structure 'verb + 一 + verb' (看一看) is a common way to express a brief or casual action, making the request 给我看一看 sound less demanding.
How do you pronounce it?
gěi wǒ kàn
Did you know?
- The character 看 is a pictograph that originally depicted a hand 手 over an eye 目. It literally represents the gesture of shading one's eyes with a hand to see something more clearly in the distance.
- While 看 means 'to see' or 'to look', it is also the word used for 'reading' a book or 'watching' a movie. In Chinese, the act of showing something often blends these different types of visual consumption into one verb.
- In Chinese culture, requesting to see something via 给我看 can be perceived as too direct if you do not use a softening particle like 吧 (ba) at the end. Adding this particle turns the command into a suggestion or a gentle request.
Examples in context
- 请把您的护照给我看一下。Show me your passport, please.This sentence is useful for requesting to see a passport.Tatoeba #395562 by GlossaMatik, translation #35276 by CK
- 打扰了，你能给我看一下你的驾照吗?Excuse me, could you please show me your driving licence?This sentence is useful for requesting to see a driving licence.Tatoeba #1738035 by sadhen, translation #792830 by hrin
- 给我看看你哪里痛。Show me where it hurts.This sentence is useful for requesting to see where someone is in pain.Tatoeba #714790 by sysko, translation #2234198 by lutao
- 请让我看看这个文件。Please show me this document.
- 这个视频很有趣，请给我看。This video is interesting, please show me.
- 这张照片好美，你给我看看吧。This photo is so beautiful, show it to me.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a photo album on a phone.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那张照片也给我看。Nà zhāng zhàopiàn yě gěi wǒ kàn.Show me that photo too.
- 俊杰 Junjie好，给你看。Hǎo, gěi nǐ kàn.Okay, here you go.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这张照片里的人是谁？Zhè zhāng zhàopiàn lǐ de rén shì shéi?Who is the person in this photo?
- 俊杰 Junjie这是我哥哥。Zhè shì wǒ gēge.This is my older brother.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
