<p>一看 simply means 看了一下，so it could also be</p>
<blockquote>
<p>打开盒子看了一下，里面是一只小猫</p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are other similar uses like</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我给他一说，他就同意了 / 我给他说了说，他就同意了</p>
<p>他一来，事情就解决了 / 他来了一下，事情就解决了</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T18:54:36.000Z
Thank you a lot, that clarified things up. Can I ask other example sentences with 一看 for a better understanding?
Don't Care
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T19:03:35.407Z
@Don'tCare You are welcome! Other examples could be, 我出去一看，发现路上已经积了很厚的雪，or 他拉开窗帘一看，才发现天已经黑了。
zyy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T15:59:31.363Z
2019-01-25T15:59:31.363Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
zyy
<p>In my opinion, 一看 denotes this sense: （用在动词或动量词前面， 表示先做某个动作， 下文说明动作结果）.  For example, 一看就明白了， meaning <em>you see it first and then you understand it</em> or <em>you understand it right after/(the minute) you see it.</em> </p>

<p>打开盒子一看，里面是一只小猫 means <em>you open the box and have a look, and then spot a kitty within.</em> or <em>You spot a kitty right after(/when) you open the box.</em></p>

<p>看一看 doesn't have that connotation. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-26T13:09:49.117Z
2019-01-26T13:09:49.117Z
dan
<p>一看 here means "looked at it" in a generally cursory manner such that whatever was being observed was obvious and did not require some deep searching. The use of "一" (one) here is meant to suggest that you only had to "look at it <em>once</em>" to figure something out. As zyy points out, there are other places where this "一" appears and they all serve the same purpose - that something could be done in one go (without too much additional effort).</p>

<p>Edit:
For example: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我一看就看出来你是足球运动员。</p>
  
  <p>With one glance, I could tell you are a soccer player.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>vs </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他看我看了好久才发现我箭头发了。</p>
  
  <p>He had to look at me for a while before he discovered I had cut my hair.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T18:52:38.297Z
Thank you. Could you elaborate some more example sentences with 一看 so that I can have a better understanding of other contexts too?
Don't Care
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T19:52:31.270Z
*一看 here means "looked at it"*  - It is actually  '看' that  means "to look" as in  "打开盒子看" . (open the box and look); 一看 means 'briefly look'
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T20:47:25.457Z
@TangHo yes, I agree. My sentence continues beyond your quotation and you have to read the entire sentence to get the full meaning I was intending (i.e. 一看 means "looked at it" in a generally cursory manner...). This means the same as "quickly look" or "briefly look".
enumaris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T17:43:19.390Z
2019-01-25T19:02:43.390Z
2019-01-25T19:02:43.390Z
enumaris
<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li>打开盒子<strong>看</strong>，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and <strong>look</strong>, it is a kitten inside)</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p><em>看 here is a simple verb 'to see'</em></p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="2">
  <li>打开盒子<strong>看看</strong>，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and <strong>briefly (or casually) look</strong>, it is a kitten inside)</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p><em>看看 here is a reduplication of verb ; reduplication verb imply the verb is occurring in a brief time period, in a slight degree or in a casual manner.</em> </p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="3">
  <li>打开盒子<strong>看一看</strong>，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and <strong>looked once</strong>, it is a kitten inside)</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><em>看一看</strong> (look one look = look one time = looked once) is  [verb + counting word + verb classifier]; the same structure can be applied to other verbs, e.g. 打一打 (hit one hit = hit one time = hit once); you can replace '一' with different counting words like '看幾看' (look few looks = look few times</em>)</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol start="4">
  <li>打开盒子<strong>一看</strong>，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and <strong>quickly look</strong>, it is a kitten inside)</li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p><strong><em>一看</strong> here is [adverb (一) + verb (看)] ; '一' as an adverb means 'once, abruptly, quickly or briefly'</em></p>

<p>Example of '一' as an adverb:</p>

<p>他心中一怒 (not 他心中怒一怒) means "he abruptly get angry inside"</p>

<p>曹操一听大怒 (not 曹操听一听大怒) means "once Cao Cao heard it, he got very angry"</p>

<p>我一想不錯 (not 我想一想不錯) means "once I think about it, I know it is correct"</p>

<p>他终于能一展抱负 (not 他终于能展一展抱负) means "he finally can extend his ambition for once" or "he finally can extend his ambition abruptly" </p>

<p>他一改风格 (not 他改一改风格) means 'He abruptly changes style' or 'He changes style for once') </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-29T16:53:08.480Z
I agree with most of the points, especially point 4 about 一看. But for point 3, I wouldn't say 看一看 means "exactly once", it's very close to the English phrase "take a look", which doesn't mean "take just one look". Eg, 这个结果不对，你能看一看吗 (this is not correct, could you take a look). To mean just once, you need the classifier, 看一眼，打一圈
jf328
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-29T22:12:56.727Z
@jf328 [(看)(一)(看)]= [look(verb)  + one(counting word)  + look (verb classifier)] ; It does imply 'look once', or  'briefly look'-- 'take a look' just replace the verb 'look' with 'take'. The meaning is the same. The main goal of explaining point 3 is:  stating the role of each character in that structure
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-30T10:01:31.630Z
@TangHo Some words didn't works well with the meaning "once". For example, 想一想 shouldn't be "think once". 出去走一走 won't be "walk once outside"
tsh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-25T20:34:08.043Z
2019-01-26T21:03:50.010Z
2019-01-26T21:03:50.010Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
  <p>打开盒子<strong>一看</strong>，里面是一只小猫</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is it the same as 看看 or 看一看？</p>

<translation><grammar><word-choice><meaning-in-context>
What is the meaning of 一看 in 打开盒子一看，里面是一只小猫?
# What is the meaning of 一看 in 打开盒子一看，里面是一只小猫?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-01-25)

> 打开盒子**一看**，里面是一只小猫

Is it the same as 看看 or 看一看？

**Tags:** translation, grammar, word-choice, meaning-in-context

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-01-25. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

> 1. 打开盒子**看**，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and **look**, it is a kitten inside)

*看 here is a simple verb 'to see'*

> 2. 打开盒子**看看**，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and **briefly (or casually) look**, it is a kitten inside)

*看看 here is a reduplication of verb ; reduplication verb imply the verb is occurring in a brief time period, in a slight degree or in a casual manner.*

> 3. 打开盒子**看一看**，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and **looked once**, it is a kitten inside)

***看一看*** (look one look = look one time = looked once) is [verb + counting word + verb classifier]; the same structure can be applied to other verbs, e.g. 打一打 (hit one hit = hit one time = hit once); you can replace '一' with different counting words like '看幾看' (look few looks = look few times)

> 4. 打开盒子**一看**，里面是一只小猫 (open the box and **quickly look**, it is a kitten inside)

***一看*** here is [adverb (一) + verb (看)] ; '一' as an adverb means 'once, abruptly, quickly or briefly'

Example of '一' as an adverb:

他心中一怒 (not 他心中怒一怒) means "he abruptly get angry inside"

曹操一听大怒 (not 曹操听一听大怒) means "once Cao Cao heard it, he got very angry"

我一想不錯 (not 我想一想不錯) means "once I think about it, I know it is correct"

他终于能一展抱负 (not 他终于能展一展抱负) means "he finally can extend his ambition for once" or "he finally can extend his ambition abruptly"

他一改风格 (not 他改一改风格) means 'He abruptly changes style' or 'He changes style for once')

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: I agree with most of the points, especially point 4 about 一看. But for point 3, I wouldn't say 看一看 means "exactly once", it's very close to the English phrase "take a look", which doesn't mean "take just one look". Eg, 这个结果不对，你能看一看吗 (this is not correct, could you take a look). To mean just once, you need the classifier, 看一眼，打一圈  
> **username_4**: @jf328 [(看)(一)(看)]= [look(verb)  + one(counting word)  + look (verb classifier)] ; It does imply 'look once', or  'briefly look'-- 'take a look' just replace the verb 'look' with 'take'. The meaning is the same. The main goal of explaining point 3 is:  stating the role of each character in that structure  
> **username_6**: @TangHo Some words didn't works well with the meaning "once". For example, 想一想 shouldn't be "think once". 出去走一走 won't be "walk once outside"  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-01-25. Score: 3

一看 simply means 看了一下，so it could also be

> 打开盒子看了一下，里面是一只小猫

There are other similar uses like

> 我给他一说，他就同意了 / 我给他说了说，他就同意了
>
> 他一来，事情就解决了 / 他来了一下，事情就解决了

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you a lot, that clarified things up. Can I ask other example sentences with 一看 for a better understanding?  
> **username_1**: @Don'tCare You are welcome! Other examples could be, 我出去一看，发现路上已经积了很厚的雪，or 他拉开窗帘一看，才发现天已经黑了。  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-01-26. Score: 2

In my opinion, 一看 denotes this sense: （用在动词或动量词前面， 表示先做某个动作， 下文说明动作结果）. For example, 一看就明白了， meaning *you see it first and then you understand it* or *you understand it right after/(the minute) you see it.*

打开盒子一看，里面是一只小猫 means *you open the box and have a look, and then spot a kitty within.* or *You spot a kitty right after(/when) you open the box.*

看一看 doesn't have that connotation.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-01-25. Score: 1

一看 here means "looked at it" in a generally cursory manner such that whatever was being observed was obvious and did not require some deep searching. The use of "一" (one) here is meant to suggest that you only had to "look at it *once*" to figure something out. As zyy points out, there are other places where this "一" appears and they all serve the same purpose - that something could be done in one go (without too much additional effort).

Edit:
For example:

> 我一看就看出来你是足球运动员。
>
> With one glance, I could tell you are a soccer player.

vs

> 他看我看了好久才发现我箭头发了。
>
> He had to look at me for a while before he discovered I had cut my hair.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you. Could you elaborate some more example sentences with 一看 so that I can have a better understanding of other contexts too?  
> **username_4**: *一看 here means "looked at it"*  - It is actually  '看' that  means "to look" as in  "打开盒子看" . (open the box and look); 一看 means 'briefly look'  
> **username_3**: @TangHo yes, I agree. My sentence continues beyond your quotation and you have to read the entire sentence to get the full meaning I was intending (i.e. 一看 means "looked at it" in a generally cursory manner...). This means the same as "quickly look" or "briefly look".  

---

