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看熱鬧

简看热闹 · 繁看熱鬧

Mandarin · pinyin kàn rè nao

to enjoy watching a bustling scene
to go where the crowds are

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Characters in this entry

看: kàn · look, see; examine, scrutinize
熱: rè · hot; heat; fever; restless; zeal
鬧: Look up this written character
热: rè · hot; heat; fever; restless; zeal
闹: nào · quarrel; dispute hotly

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4–5 · kan4 re4 nao5

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

看熱鬧 · find source passages ↗ · 看热闹 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(verb-object) to watch the excitement; to go where the crowds are
(ironic) to enjoy watching someone fail

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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