东张西望 (dōng zhāng xī wàng) — (idiom) to look around in all directions, to glance left and right; (idiom) to be distracted or fidgety, unable to focus
Definition
Means 'looking around distractedly, unable to focus.' Unlike 四面八方 (which describes directions or 'everywhere' as a noun), 东张西望 is about a person's restless gaze — close to 左顾右盼, but 东张西望 focuses on distraction, while 左顾右盼 often adds hesitation.
idiom
to look around in all directionsto glance left and rightto be distracted or fidgetyunable to focus
Examples
- 东张西望，。Tā zhàn zài lù kǒu dōng zhāng xī wàng, hǎo xiàng zài zhǎo shén me rén.He stood at the intersection looking around, as if searching for someone.
- 东张西望，。Kāi huì shí bié dōng zhāng xī wàng, yào rèn zhēn tīng lǐng dǎo jiǎng huà.Don't look around during the meeting; listen carefully to the leader's speech.
- 东张西望，。Zhè hái zi shàng kè zǒng shì dōng zhāng xī wàng, chéng jì yì zhí bú tài hǎo.This child is always looking around in class, and his grades have never been very good.
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