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一眼 (yī yǎn) — a glance; a quick look

Definition

A measure-phrase-like noun meaning 'a single glance' — it quantifies one look, not a stare (e.g. 我一眼就认出了他 'I recognized him at a glance'). It often appears before 就 to mean 'at a glance' or 'immediately upon seeing'.

noun
a glancea quick look

Examples

  • 一眼。
    Tā kàn le wǒ yī yǎn.
    He gave me a glance.
  • 一眼。
    Wǒ yī yǎn jiù rèn chū le tā.
    I recognized him at a glance.
  • 一眼，。
    Zhī yī yǎn, tā jiù zhī dào chū shì le.
    With just one look, she knew something was wrong.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn眼yǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

Open 眼 →
Appears in
Senses

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