看清楚 (kàn qīngchǔ) — see clearly / read carefully
HSK 3 | verb + result complement | to look at something and perceive it with full clarity
看清楚 (kàn qīngchǔ)
看清楚 is a verb-complement structure. 看 (to look / see) is the base verb and 清楚 (clear) is the result complement, showing that looking achieves a clear understanding or perception. It is used for visual clarity — reading something carefully, seeing something distinctly, or making sure you noticed correctly.
Structure
看 (look / see) + 清楚 (result complement: clear) = look with the result of seeing clearly.
Other complements that can follow 看: 看完 (finish reading), 看懂 (understand by reading), 看错 (misread).
Example Sentences
你看清楚了吗？这里写的是六，不是八。 Nǐ kàn qīngchǔ le ma? Zhèlǐ xiě de shì liù, bú shì bā. Did you look clearly? What is written here is six, not eight.
请把合同看清楚再签字。 Qǐng bǎ hétong kàn qīngchǔ zài qiānzì. Please read the contract carefully before signing.
光线太暗，我看不清楚。 Guāngxiàn tài àn, wǒ kàn bù qīngchǔ. The light is too dim; I cannot see clearly.
他没戴眼镜，没看清楚那个人的脸。 Tā méi dài yǎnjìng, méi kàn qīngchǔ nàgè rén de liǎn. He was not wearing his glasses and did not see that person's face clearly.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 看清楚了 | saw / read clearly (completed) |
| 看不清楚 | cannot see clearly |
| 把...看清楚 | look at... carefully (with 把) |
| 没看清楚 | did not see clearly |
| 看清楚再说 | make sure you see it clearly before speaking |
Memory Hook
看 has a hand (手) over an eye (目) — shielding your eyes to see into the distance. Add 清楚 (crystal-clear water). 看清楚 is shielding your eyes and peering hard until the image is as clear as a calm pond.