“参观(cānguān)” and “访问(fǎngwèn)” both mean to visit. But they don’t mean the same in Mandarin. The following will help you understand how to use these two words.
Look at the following two sets of sentences:
(1) A. √上星期我们访问了一位老农民。
Shàng xīngqī wǒmen fǎngwènle yī wèi lǎo nóngmín.
Shàng xīngqī wǒmen cānguānle yī wèi lǎo nóngmín.
Last week we visited an old farmer.
Wǒ xiǎng qù cānguān nàgè túshū guǎn.
Wǒ xiǎng qù fǎngwèn nàgè túshū guǎn.
I want to visit the library.
“参观(cānguān)” means to go to see and spend time in (a place) as a tourist
“访问(fǎngwèn)” means to go to see (someone or something) for a specific purpose, such as to make an interview or inspection or to receive or give professional advice or help.
Let’s compare the following sentences:
Wǒmen cānguānle fùdàn dàxué.
Wǒmen fǎngwènle fùdàn dàxué.
We visited Fudan University.
Variant A means that we saw the campus, teaching building, library, student accommodation, food, and other places of Fudan University.
Variant B means that we had a formal discussion with teachers and students of Fudan University, and through this discussion, we learned about the situation of Fudan University.
We can also say: “我们参观并访问了复且大学。”
Wǒmen cānguān bìng fǎngwènle fù dàn dàxué.
From the way of asking questions, we can also clearly distinguish the different usages of “参观(cānguān)” and “访问(fǎngwèn)”.
Nǐmen cānguānle nǎxiē dìfāng?
Where did you visit?
Nǐmen fǎngwènle shéi (nǎxiē rén, shénme rén)?
Who did you visit?
Nǐ fǎngwènguò nǎxiē guójiā(chéngshì)?
What countries (cities) have you visited?
Think about the different uses of “参观(cānguān)” and “访问(fǎngwèn)” in the following phrases.
If you are interested, you can write down your understanding of these words.
|visit the countryside|
cānguān zhǎnlǎn huì
fǎngwèn péngyǒu (lǎoshī)
visiting friends (teachers)
fǎngwèn Zhōngguó (Shànghǎi, Běijīng)
visiting China (Shanghai, Beijing)
cān xiàn míngshèng gǔjī
visit places of interest
fǎngwèn yī wèi yǒumíng de zuòjiā
visit a famous writer
cānguān yángpǔ dàqiáo
visit Yangpu Bridge
cānguān lǎoshī de jiā
Visit the teacher's home
cānguān xīnjiàn de diànyǐngyuàn
Visit the newly built cinema