# 小看 / 看不起 / 轻视



## camelTrader

*小看
看不起
轻视*

中文词典说都是差不多的，不过好像有一点不一样。
能不能给我解释一下？
谢谢！

These all seem to be the same according to my dictionary.
But I think there are some different nuances.
Could someone explain the difference for me?
Thanks.


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## xiaolijie

camelTrader said:


> *小看
> 看不起
> 轻视*
> 
> These all seem to be the same according to my dictionary.
> But I think there are some different nuances.


It's not easy to tell the difference between words in the abstract, so can you tell us a bit more about the different nuances you're thinking of? What's made you think there are? Do you have some examples which you think some of the words may not fit? Such examples should give us a start in helping you.

Your question has reminded me of my response to a recent similar thread. This doesn't necessarily apply the same way in your thread but just so that you'll know that background information is normally required:


xiaolijie said:


> There are a thousand ways to tell you the difference and all would be irrelevant and wasted unless you would at least give some indication where your problems are. For example, give some concrete examples and tell us what you think, then we'll know where to start and how to help you. The rules of the forum specifically asking you to _*provide complete sentences and background information every time you ask a question*_ is for this very reason.


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## camelTrader

OK sorry about that.

I'd like to know if they are interchangeable in the following sentences.

_你别小看（看不起？轻视？）人家。
__不要看不起（小看？轻视？）环卫工作。
__任务很繁重，可不能轻视（小看？看不起？）。_

To me, 轻视 seems quite formal, but I see no difference between 小看 and 看不起。
Usually there is some slight difference between the terms that the dictionaries don't tell you.
So I was looking for some explanation by native speakers.

Thanks!


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## Ghabi

Hi Camel Trader! I'd say 看不起 has more a sense of disdain. For example, a friend has knocked up a girl and run away, and we all take up the moral high ground, ready to throw our stones, saying: 我看不起這種人! In this context we won't say 我小看/輕視這種人!

On the other hand, when you're only focusing on someone's objective qualities, you're more likely to use 小看/輕視/小覷(more literary)/看扁(more colloquial).

So, 別看不起人家 is more like "don't be a snob!", while 別小看/輕視人家 is more like "don't sell him short!"

Similarly, for the second sentence, 別看不起環衛工作 is more like "don't think the cleaning jobs are beneath you!", while 別小看/輕視環衛工作 is more like "public hygiene maintenance is no trivial matter".

For the third one, I don't think you can use 看不起 all all, because what we want to say is just "don't take the job lightly".


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## camelTrader

Thanks!

Can I oversimplify it like this?

看不起 = 厌他。

小看 = 轻视 = 觉得不重要，没有价值。


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## Nina1922

你好！

这是三个近义词，区别如下：

1）“小看”和“看不起”，强调主观意识上“look down on someone”。
但是“看不起”的贬义色彩更浓，更有“不尊重”的意思。

2）“轻视”，强调“不重视”，通常表示没有认真看待某人或某事。


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## SuperXW

camelTrader said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Can I oversimplify it like this?
> 
> 看不起 = 厌他。


What is 厌他???

My analysis is:
看不起 100% chance = look down upon 
小看 50% chance = look down upon; 50% = take lightly
轻视 100% chance = take lightly
In terms of despising, 看不起>小看>轻视


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## tarlou

camelTrader said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Can I oversimplify it like this?
> 
> 看不起 = 厌他。
> 
> 小看 = 轻视 = 觉得不重要，没有价值。



I agree with this, though 厌他 is not a correct word. 看不起 has some meaning of discrimination like in "racial discrimination", though not as bad. 轻视 and 小看 are more like pure underestimation. And as you said, 轻视 is more formal.


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## HauntingTheHome

轻视后面跟人或事情，是正式的用法。隐含已经导致了不好的结果或会导致不好的结果，如果不轻视，会有更好的结果。
小看是轻视的口语化用法，但是很多情况也会表达和看不起一样的意思。
看不起后面跟人，表示贬义，态度比较强烈，比较口语化。比如我看不起环卫工人，隐含有我的工作或社会地位比环卫工人高，有一种优越感。

如果有人对着你说“你别看不起我”，“你别小看人”，多半你们会吵架甚至打架。
如果有人对着你说“可不要轻视（小看）我啊”，是一种略带调侃的提醒，暗示这个人自认为你的实力比他强，并没有贬义。

轻视例子：1.曼联队轻视了埃弗顿队，导致大比分输给了对手。（后面跟人） ——隐含曼联队如果重视了埃弗顿队，就不会输掉比赛。暗示曼联的实力比埃弗顿强，本来应该会赢，由于轻视，输了。
                          2.我轻视了这件任务，导致我没有办好。（后面跟事情）——隐含我如果认真对待这件任务，就不会办糟这件任务。暗示我有能力办好这件事情，但我没有重视，所以没有办好。


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## camelTrader

Thanks for your replies!

厌他 should be 讨厌他 ... sorry about that.


Here's my "大概" summary based on the above information.

看不起 A strong, informal (spoken) word, meaning "to look down on" or "to be prejudiced against". If you use this you will start a fight.

轻视 A formal word meaning "to underestimate", see as unimportant, or to take lightly.

小看 An informal word that usually means 轻视, but can also sometimes mean 看不起, but not as strong.


Please feel free to make any corrections!


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## HauntingTheHome

你的理解很好。 看不起是里面态度最强的。 说这种话的人未必一定表示想打架，也有可能是激励（stimulate）对方，要看具体的语境。

例子 妻子对丈夫说：你天天这样游手好闲，无所事事，我真看不起你。其实妻子重点是想激励丈夫去努力，重点并不是觉得自己能力或道德水平比丈夫高的prejudice。


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## hanches

*小看 has an implication that "in factor, the thing you 小看 may be very big or improtant.
看不起 has an implication of "contempt", just a subjective feeling,
轻视 is same as “看不起”， but more formal.*


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## catamaran

或者会激怒，呵呵





HauntingTheHome said:


> 你的理解很好。 看不起是里面态度最强的。 说这种话的人未必一定表示想打架，也有可能是激励（stimulate）对方，要看具体的语境。
> 
> 例子 妻子对丈夫说：你天天这样游手好闲，无所事事，我真看不起你。其实妻子重点是想激励丈夫去努力，重点并不是觉得自己能力或道德水平比丈夫高的prejudice。


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## Skatinginbc

This is how I see them : 小看 = belittle; 看不起 = dismiss; 轻视 = undervalue.


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