审视 (shěnshì) — to scrutinize, to examine critically

审视 (shěnshì)

审视 means to scrutinize or examine something carefully, often with a critical or evaluative eye. It implies more than casual observation — the examiner is actively judging, assessing, or reconsidering. The word can be used for both physical examination (looking carefully at something) and intellectual scrutiny (critically reviewing an assumption or situation).

Meanings

1. [v] to scrutinize; to examine carefully and critically
2. [v] to review; to reassess (an idea, situation, or assumption) with critical attention

Example Sentences

我们需要以历史的眼光重新审视这段外交政策的得失。 Wǒmen xūyào yǐ lìshǐ de yǎnguāng chóngxīn shěnshì zhè duàn wàijiāo zhèngcè de déshī. We need to re-examine the gains and losses of this diplomatic policy through a historical lens.

她用深邃的目光审视着眼前这幅充满争议的现代艺术作品。 Tā yòng shēnsuì de mùguāng shěnshìzhe yǎnqián zhè fú chōngmǎn zhēngyì de xiàndài yìshù zuòpǐn. She scrutinized the controversial modern artwork before her with a penetrating gaze.

批评家对这位作家的最新小说进行了严格的审视，指出了其叙事结构的缺陷。 Pīpínjiā duì zhè wèi zuòjiā de zuìxīn xiǎoshuō jìnxíngle yángé de shěnshì, zhǐchūle qí xùshì jiégòu de quēxiàn. Critics subjected the author's latest novel to rigorous scrutiny, pointing out flaws in its narrative structure.

在决策前，管理层对每一个投资方案进行了详尽的审视与评估。 Zài juécè qián, guǎnlǐcéng duì měi yīgè tóuzī fāng'àn jìnxíngle xiángjìn de shěnshì yǔ pínggū. Before making decisions, the management subjected every investment plan to exhaustive scrutiny and evaluation.

青年一代开始以批判的眼光审视社会制度的合理性。 Qīngnián yīdài kāishǐ yǐ pīpàn de yǎnguāng shěnshì shèhuì zhìdù de hélǐxìng. The younger generation has begun to scrutinize the rationality of social institutions with a critical eye.

他静静地审视着自己的选择，试图厘清内心深处的真实意愿。 Tā jìngjìng de shěnshìzhe zìjǐ de xuǎnzé, shìtú lǐqīng nèixīn shēnchù de zhēnshí yìyuàn. He quietly scrutinized his own choices, trying to clarify his true inner desires.

Collocations

Usage Notes

审视 is more deliberate and judgmental than 观察 (guānchá, to observe) or 看 (kàn, to look). It implies the examiner has authority or expertise to judge what they see, and that the examination involves evaluation rather than mere observation. The most common pattern is 重新审视 (to re-examine), which suggests that a previous assumption or position is being reconsidered.

审视 can be reflexive: 审视自我 (to examine oneself) or 审视自己的行为 (to scrutinize one's own behavior). In this sense, it is close to introspection but with a more external, evaluative perspective. It is a formal word rarely used in casual conversation.

Memory Hook

审 (to examine, to try — as in a court trial) + 视 (to see, to look): "looking with the thoroughness of a judge" — careful, evaluative scrutiny.