亲眼 (qīn yǎn) — (adverb) with one's own eyes; in person

Definition

亲眼 means 'with one's own eyes' — emphasizes direct visual witness. Often used before verbs like 看到/目睹, unlike 亲自 ('personally', one's own effort) or 亲手 ('with one's own hands').

adverb

with one's own eyesin person

Examples

亲眼。
Wǒ qīn yǎn kàn dào tā bǎ yào shi fàng zài zhuō zi shàng le.
I saw with my own eyes that he put the keys on the table.
亲眼，。
Nǐ qīn yǎn qù què rèn yí xià, zhè ge xiāo xi shì bu shì zhēn de.
Go and confirm with your own eyes whether this news is true.
。
Tā qīn yǎn mù dǔ le nà chǎng huǒ zāi de quán guò chéng.
He witnessed the entire process of that fire with his own eyes.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

亲qīnown

眼yǎneye

亲 own and 眼 eyes together mean with one's own eyes.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

見見jiànsee

Sound part声符shēngfú

辛

辛xīn親qīn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

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

目艮眼

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 →

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