The rule: pointing your eyes at something on purpose (a film, a book, a doctor) → 睇 (tai2); the seeing that happens, or meeting a person → 見 (gin3). Mandarin 看 (kàn) does the first job and 見 (jiàn) the second, so learners coming from Mandarin should map 睇 to 看 and keep 見 as 見.
| 睇 | 見 | |
|---|---|---|
| Jyutping | tai2 (tone 2, high rising) | gin3 (tone 3, mid level) |
| Job | Look at, watch, read, consult | See (as a result), meet, visit, interview |
| Mandarin twin | 看 (kàn) | 見 (jiàn) |
| Both in one word | 睇見 (catch sight of) | 見到 (to see it) |
| Situation | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Watch a film" | 睇戲 | An activity you do with your eyes: 睇 |
| "Read a book" | 睇書 | Reading is 睇 in Cantonese |
| "See a doctor" | 睇醫生 | Consulting someone: 睇 |
| "Take a look" | 睇下 | A quick, deliberate look: 睇 |
| "Meet a friend" | 見朋友 | Meeting people is 見 |
| "See you tomorrow" | 聽日見 | The goodbye is built on 見 |
| "Goodbye" | 再見 | See you again: 見 |
| "Go to a job interview" | 見工 | Meeting the employer: 見 |
| "I can see it" | 我見到 | The seeing worked: 見 plus 到 |
| "Meet up" | 見面 | See each other face to face: 見 |
Using 見 for watching or reading. 我見電視 sounds wrong; watching TV is 睇電視, and the same goes for 睇戲 and 睇書. The reverse slip is quieter: for meeting a person, use 見 (見朋友), because 睇 means looking at, not meeting.
More classic mix-ups: 去 vs 嚟, 喇 vs 啦, 識 vs 知; more learner answers on the FAQ page.
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