kānguǎn: 看管 - To Guard, Watch Over, Supervise

• Keywords: kanguan, 看管, to guard in Chinese, to look after in Chinese, watch over, supervise, take care of, HSK 5, Chinese for prison guard, Chinese vocabulary, learn Chinese, unattended luggage.
• Summary: Learn the essential HSK 5 Chinese verb 看管 (kānguǎn), which means “to guard,” “to watch over,” or “to supervise.” This guide explains how 看管 (kānguǎn) is used for everything from watching luggage at an airport and guarding a warehouse to supervising children and prisoners. Discover the crucial pronunciation difference in the character 看 (kān) and understand how 看管 (kānguǎn) differs from similar words like 照顾 (zhàogù), making your Chinese more precise and natural.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): kānguǎn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To watch over and be in charge of a person, place, or thing, typically for security or safety.
• In a Nutshell: 看管 (kānguǎn) is about active supervision. Think of it as the job of a security guard, a prison warden, or a babysitter whose main task is to prevent problems. It combines “watching over” (看, kān) with “managing/controlling” (管, guǎn). The feeling is one of responsibility for security and order, rather than emotional care or nurturing.

• 看 (kān): In this word, 看 is pronounced kān (1st tone), which means “to look after” or “to guard.” This is a critical distinction from its more common pronunciation, kàn (4th tone), which means “to see” or “to look at.” For example, 看门 (kānmén) means “to guard a door.”
• 管 (guǎn): This character means “to manage,” “to control,” or “to be in charge of.” It implies a level of authority and responsibility over something.

When combined, 看管 (kānguǎn) literally means “to watch over and manage,” creating a clear and strong verb for the act of supervision and guardianship.

While not a deeply philosophical term, 看管 (kānguǎn) reflects a practical aspect of Chinese culture: the clear delegation of responsibility. When someone is asked to 看管 something, it establishes a formal or informal contract of duty. The person is now officially in charge of the safety and security of that item, place, or person. A useful comparison is with the English phrase “to look after.”

• To look after can be very broad. You can “look after” a sick parent (implying nurturing care), “look after” a business (implying management), or “look after” a bag (implying temporary watchfulness).
• 看管 (kānguǎn) is more specific. It almost always carries a nuance of security or prevention. You would use 照顾 (zhàogù) to describe the nurturing care for a sick parent. You would use 管理 (guǎnlǐ) to describe managing a business. You use 看管 (kānguǎn) when your primary role is to be a guardian—to make sure nothing bad happens.

This distinction highlights a preference in Chinese for using more precise verbs to define the nature of the responsibility being undertaken.

看管 (kānguǎn) is a common and practical verb used in various everyday situations.

• Guarding Property and Places (Neutral): This is the most common usage. It's used for jobs that involve security or for temporarily watching over items.
• Guarding a warehouse (仓库), a construction site (工地), or a building (大楼).
• Watching someone's luggage (行李) or bag (包) for a moment.
• Supervising People (Formal/Serious): In law enforcement or institutional contexts, it means to guard or supervise people to prevent them from escaping or causing trouble.
• Guarding prisoners (犯人) or suspects (嫌疑人).
• Watching Children/Pets (Informal): While 照顾 (zhàogù) is more common for overall childcare, 看管 (kānguǎn) is often used for short-term, supervisory watchfulness.
• “Can you watch the kids for five minutes while I take this call?” Here, the focus is on safety, not on feeding or playing with them.

• Example 1:
• 他白天的工作是看管这个仓库。
• Pinyin: Tā báitiān de gōngzuò shì kānguǎn zhège cāngkù.
• English: His daytime job is to guard this warehouse.
• Analysis: A classic, neutral use of 看管 for a job involving security of a place.
• Example 2:
• 你能帮我看管一下行李吗？我马上回来。
• Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ kānguǎn yíxià xíngli ma? Wǒ mǎshàng huílái.
• English: Can you help me watch my luggage for a moment? I'll be right back.
• Analysis: A very common and practical request in a travel context. The “一下 (yíxià)” softens the tone and indicates a brief action.
• Example 3:
• 警察二十四小时看管着那名重要的证人。
• Pinyin: Jǐngchá èrshísì xiǎoshí kānguǎn zhe nà míng zhòngyào de zhèngrén.
• English: The police are guarding that important witness 24 hours a day.
• Analysis: Here, 看管 takes on a serious, formal tone related to law enforcement and protection.
• Example 4:
• 把孩子放在公园里，一定要好好看管，别让他乱跑。
• Pinyin: Bǎ háizi fàng zài gōngyuán lǐ, yídìng yào hǎohǎo kānguǎn, bié ràng tā luàn pǎo.
• English: When the kids are in the park, you must watch them carefully and not let them run around randomly.
• Analysis: This shows the informal use for supervising children, with a focus on safety.
• Example 5:
• 这片区域由私人保安公司负责看管。
• Pinyin: Zhè piàn qūyù yóu sīrén bǎo'ān gōngsī fùzé kānguǎn.
• English: This area is under the charge of a private security company.
• Analysis: Demonstrates a formal usage related to security services and responsibility.
• Example 6:
• 这些贵重设备必须由专人看管。
• Pinyin: Zhèxiē guìzhòng shèbèi bìxū yóu zhuānrén kānguǎn.
• English: This valuable equipment must be looked after by designated personnel.
• Analysis: Highlights the sense of responsibility for valuable items.
• Example 7:
• 农夫用稻草人来看管他的田地，防止鸟儿偷吃庄稼。
• Pinyin: Nóngfū yòng dàocǎorén lái kānguǎn tā de tiándì, fángzhǐ niǎo'er tōuchī zhuāngjia.
• English: The farmer uses a scarecrow to watch over his fields to prevent birds from stealing the crops.
• Analysis: A creative example showing that the “guard” doesn't have to be a person.
• Example 8:
• 他的职责之一就是看管在押的嫌疑人。
• Pinyin: Tā de zhízé zhī yī jiùshì kānguǎn zàiyā de xiányírén.
• English: One of his duties is to guard the suspects in custody.
• Analysis: A formal sentence construction (职责之一就是… “one of the duties is…”) emphasizing the law enforcement context.
• Example 9:
• 邻居度假去了，委托我看管他家的猫。
• Pinyin: Línjū dùjià qù le, wěituō wǒ kānguǎn tā jiā de māo.
• English: My neighbor went on vacation and entrusted me with looking after his cat.
• Analysis: A good example of using 看管 for pets. It implies ensuring the pet is safe, fed, and doesn't run away.
• Example 10:
• 机场广播提醒旅客，请勿将行李置于无人看管的状态。
• Pinyin: Jīchǎng guǎngbō tíxǐng lǚkè, qǐng wù jiāng xíngli zhìyú wú rén kānguǎn de zhuàngtài.
• English: The airport announcement reminds passengers not to leave their luggage unattended.
• Analysis: This introduces the extremely useful phrase 无人看管 (wú rén kānguǎn), meaning “unattended” or “unguarded.”

• Mistake 1: Pronunciation. The single biggest mistake is pronouncing 看 as kàn (4th tone) in this word. It MUST be kān (1st tone).
  • Incorrect: `tā kànguǎn cāngkù.`
  • Correct: `tā kānguǎn cāngkù.` (He guards the warehouse.)
• Mistake 2: Confusing `看管 (kānguǎn)` with `照顾 (zhàogù)`. This is a crucial distinction in meaning.
  • `看管 (kānguǎn)` is for supervision and security. It's about preventing negative things from happening. It's often temporary.
  • `照顾 (zhàogù)` is for nurturing and care. It's about providing for someone's needs (health, comfort, food). It's often long-term and has an emotional component.
  • Example: You 看管 (kānguǎn) a stranger's bag. You 照顾 (zhàogù) your sick grandmother.
  • Incorrect: `请帮我照顾一下我的包。` (While understandable, it sounds a bit strange, as if your bag needs emotional support.)
  • Correct: `请帮我看管一下我的包。` (Please watch my bag for me.)
• Mistake 3: Confusing `看管 (kānguǎn)` with `管理 (guǎnlǐ)`.
  • `看管 (kānguǎn)` is about physically watching over something specific.
  • `管理 (guǎnlǐ)` is about administering or managing a system, project, or company. It's more abstract and high-level.
  • Example: A security guard 看管 (kānguǎn) a building. A CEO 管理 (guǎnlǐ) a company.

• 照顾 (zhàogù) - To take care of; to look after. A near synonym but with a much stronger emphasis on nurturing, care, and meeting needs.
• 看守 (kānshǒu) - To guard; to watch over. Very similar to 看管, but often implies a more static, official, and serious duty, like guarding a prison or a military post.
• 保护 (bǎohù) - To protect. This is a broader term. You 保护 someone from harm or 保护 the environment. 看管 is one method of 保护.
• 监管 (jiānguǎn) - To supervise; to regulate. This is a much more formal and often legal/governmental term, used for things like financial regulation or market supervision.
• 管理 (guǎnlǐ) - To manage; to administer. Refers to the administration of a company, a team, or a project, not physical guarding.
• 照看 (zhàokàn) - To look after; to keep an eye on. Very close to the informal use of 看管 for children/pets, perhaps with a slightly warmer, more caring feel.
• 无人看管 (wú rén kānguǎn) - Unattended; unguarded. A very common and useful set phrase.