| 观察 | guān chá | to observe / to watch / to survey |   |
| 观测 | guān cè | to observe / to survey / observation (scientific etc) | |
| 一睹 | yī dǔ | to look / to have a glimpse at / to observe (sth's splendor) | |
| 体察 | tǐ chá | to experience / to observe | |
| 探察 | tàn chá | to investigate / to observe / to scout / to seek out and examine / to explore | |
| 观 |  guān | to look at / to watch / to observe / to behold / to advise / concept / point of view / outlook | |
| 占 | zhān | to observe / to divine | |
| 守 | shǒu | to guard / to defend / to keep watch / to abide by the law / to observe (rules or ritual) / nearby / adjoining | |
| 遵 | zūn | to observe / to obey / to follow / to comply with | |
| 觇 | chān | to observe / to spy on / Taiwan pr. [zhan1] | |
| 尊从 | zūn cóng | to obey / to observe / to follow | |
| 持守 | chí shǒu | to maintain / to adhere to / to observe (an injunction etc) | |
| 看在眼里 | kàn zài yǎn li | to observe / to take it all in | |
| 考察 | kǎo chá | to inspect / to observe and study / on-the-spot investigation | |
| 观摩 | guān mó | to observe and emulate / to study (esp. following sb's example) | |
| 看准 | kàn zhǔn | to observe and make sure / to check | |
| 静默 | jìng mò | silent / still / quiet / to mourn in silence / to observe silence / (neologism c. 2022) to stay at home during a pandemic | |
| 默哀 | mò āi | to observe a moment of silence in tribute | |
| 目视 | mù shì | to look at / to visually observe (i.e. not using instruments or sensors) | |
| 察言观色 | chá yán guān sè | to weigh up sb's words and observe their facial expression (idiom) / to discern what sb thinks from his body language | |
| 拜祭 | bài jì | to worship / to observe religious rites / to pay one's respects (to one's ancestors etc) | |
| 守寡 | shǒu guǎ | to live as widow / to observe widowhood | |
| 奉公守法 | fèng gōng shǒu fǎ | to carry out official duties and observe the law | |
| 居丧 | jū sàng | to observe the ritual mourning | |
| 守丧 | shǒu sāng | to keep watch beside a coffin / to observe a period of mourning | |
| 忧 | yōu | to worry / to concern oneself with / worried / anxiety / sorrow / (literary) to observe mourning | |
| 詧 | chá | variant of 詧, to examine / to inquire / to observe / to inspect / to look into | |
| 克己复礼 | kè jǐ fù lǐ | restrain yourself and return to the rites (idiom, from Analects) / to subdue self and observe proprieties / (any number of possible translations) | |
| 听其言而观其行 | tīng qí yán ér guān qí xíng | hear what he says and observe what he does (idiom, from Analects) / judge a person not by his words, but by his actions | |
| 鉴往知来 | jiàn wǎng zhī lái | to observe the past to foresee the future (idiom, taken loosely from Book of Songs) / studying ancient wisdom gives insight into what is to come | |
| 守孝 | shǒu xiào | to observe mourning for one's parents | |
| 审度 | shěn duó | to observe and form a judgment | |
| 守服 | shǒu fú | to observe mourning for one's parents | |
| 守职 | shǒu zhí | to observe one's duty steadfastly / devoted to one's job | |
| 将今论古 | jiāng jīn lùn gǔ | to observe the present to study the past | |
| 恪遵 | kè zūn | to scrupulously observe (rules, traditions etc) | |
| 细察 | xì chá | to observe carefully | |
| 听其言观其行 | tīng qí yán guān qí xíng | hear what he says and observe what he does (idiom, from Analects) / judge a person not by his words, but by his actions | |
| 临眺 | lín tiào | to observe from afar / to look into the distance from a high place | |
| 临视 | lín shì | to observe personally | |
| 观衅伺隙 | guān xìn sì xì | lit. to look for holes, and observe gaps (idiom) / fig. to search out one's opponent's weak points / to look for the Achilles' heel | |
| 越礼 | yuè lǐ | to overstep etiquette / not to observe priorities | |
| 遵法施行 | zūn fǎ shī xíng | to observe the existing laws (idiom) | |
| 联合国观察帕劳全民投票视察团 | | United Nations Visiting Mission to Observe the Plebiscite in Palau | |
| 联合国新赫布里底选举视察团 | | United Nations Mission to Observe the Elections in the New Hebrides | |
| 眼观四面，耳听八方 | yǎn guān sì miàn , ěr tīng bā fāng | lit. the eyes observe all sides and the ears listen in all directions (idiom) / fig. to be observant and alert | |
| 居丧 | jū sāng | to observe the ritual mourning | |
| 冷眼旁观 | lěng yǎn - páng guān | (idiom) to observe with an indifferent attitude / to be a bystander (usually referring to someone who could get involved but chooses not to) | |
