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顺眼 (shùn yǎn) — pleasing to the eye; pleasant-looking; agreeable; likeable (about a person)

Definition

顺眼 means 'pleasing to the eye' — typically used with 不 to say something (or someone) looks unappealing, as in 看着不顺眼. It focuses on visual impression rather than objective beauty.

adjective
pleasing to the eyepleasant-lookingagreeablelikeable (about a person)

Examples

  • 顺眼。
    Zhè jiàn yī fu kàn qǐ lái zhēn bú shùn yǎn.
    This piece of clothing really doesn't look pleasing.
  • ，顺眼。
    Tā chuān dé hěn suí biàn, dàn kàn qǐ lái hái suàn shùn yǎn.
    He dresses casually, but still looks fairly pleasant.
  • ，顺眼。
    Bù zhī dào wèi shén me, wǒ zǒng jué de zhè ge rén bú shùn yǎn.
    I don't know why, but I always find this person unappealing to look at.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

顺shùnsuit
眼yǎneye

顺 means to suit, and 眼 means eye: what suits the eye looks pleasing.

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 順; 顺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān順shùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 順 pairs 川 (river), which gives the sound, with 頁 (head); the picture is a head in a river, following the current. The simplified 顺 is a shorthand.

Open 顺 →

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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