千里眼 (qiān lǐ yǎn) — binoculars, telescope (colloquial); far-seeing person, clairvoyant

Definition

Literally 'eyes that see a thousand li', used for both powerful optical tools (binoculars, telescopes) and a person with extraordinary foresight or the ability to know things in advance.

noun
binocularstelescope (colloquial)far-seeing personclairvoyant

Examples

  • 千里眼。
    Tā yòng qiān lǐ yǎn guān chá yuǎn chù de fēng jǐng.
    He uses binoculars to observe the distant scenery.
  • ，千里眼。
    Zài gǔ dài shén huà zhōng, qiān lǐ yǎn kě yǐ kàn dào qiān lǐ zhī wài de dōng xī.
    In ancient mythology, the clairvoyant could see things a thousand li away.
  • 千里眼，。
    Tā zhēn shì yí gè qiān lǐ yǎn, zǒng shì néng tí qián zhī dào xiāo xi.
    He is truly a clairvoyant, always able to know the news in advance.

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.

千里thousand li
千qiānthousand里lǐli
偏正Modifier + head
眼yǎneye

千里眼 pictures 眼 as able to see a distance of 千 里, hence far-seeing.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
一一yīone, signifying a number
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén千qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

千 pairs 人, whose sound was similar, with 一, a number stroke; the extra line was explained as extension, and a thousand is a number reached by extending counting.

Open 千 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

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 →

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