Definition
看热闹 is a separable verb (离合词) that describes the act of joining a crowd to watch something interesting or unusual — often an accident, argument, or street performance. It can also carry a slightly negative connotation of secretly enjoying someone else's misfortune (like 'gloating' or 'schadenfreude'). When separated, the verb 看 and the object 热闹 can have measure words or modifiers inserted between them, e.g. 看了一个热闹 ('watched a bit of the excitement').
v.o.
to watch the excitementto go where the crowd is for funto gloatto watch someone's misfortune with secret delight
Examples
- ，看热闹。Jiē shàng yǒu rén chǎojià, hěnduō rén dōu zài kàn rè nao.Some people are arguing on the street, and many are watching the excitement.
- ，，。Tā shuāidǎo le, pángbiān de rén búdàn bù bāngmáng, fǎn'ér kàn tā de rènao.He fell, and the people nearby not only didn't help but instead gloated at his misfortune.
- ，。Wǒ jiù qù kàn le yì yǎn rènao, méi dāi duōjiǔ.I just went to take a quick look at the excitement and didn't stay long.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.