眼色 (yǎn sè) — meaningful glance; wink (used as a signal); (figurative) social perceptiveness; ability to read someone's mood from their facial expressions
Definition
眼色 is the deliberate look you give someone to signal something (often via 使眼色), or the social skill of reading others' moods. 眼神 is the emotion naturally showing in someone's eyes, not a deliberate signal.
noun
meaningful glancewink (used as a signal)(figurative) social perceptivenessability to read someone's mood from their facial expressions
Examples
- 眼色，。Tā duì wǒ shǐ le yí xià yǎn sè, shì yì wǒ bié shuō huà.He gave me a glance, signaling me not to speak.
- 眼色，。Zuò mì shū yào yǒu yǎn sè, zhī dào shén me shí hou gāi shuō huà.Being a secretary requires social perceptiveness, knowing when to speak.
- 眼色，。Tā yí gè yǎn sè, wǒ jiù míng bai le.He gave me a look, and I understood.
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