‘张望’ is a verb meaning ‘to look around’—typically with curiosity, anticipation, or uncertainty. It combines 张 (zhāng), which means ‘to stretch’ or ‘to open wide’ (as in opening one’s eyes or posture to take in surroundings), and 望 (wàng), meaning ‘to look’ or ‘to gaze’. Together, they suggest an active, sweeping visual scan—not just glancing, but deliberately searching or checking one’s environment. The word often implies mild vigilance or eagerness: someone might 张望 for a friend in a crowd, a bus at a stop, or signs of danger.

This verb is commonly used in spoken and written Chinese, especially in narrative or descriptive contexts. It carries a neutral-to-slightly-soft tone—never formal or literary—and frequently appears in the reduplicated form 张望张望 for emphasis or to convey repeated, casual looking. It’s typically followed by directional phrases (e.g., 四周, 前后, 窗外) or objects of attention (e.g., 车站, 门口), but rarely takes a direct object without a preposition like ‘for’ (找) or ‘at’ (看).