回眸 (huí móu) — (literary) to glance back, to look back; (figurative) to reflect on the past, to retrospect

Definition

Literary verb for 'to glance back' — literally 'turn one's gaze.' Used in writing for both a physical backward look and, figuratively, looking back on the past.

verb
(literary) to glance backto look back(figurative) to reflect on the pastto retrospect

Examples

  • 回眸，。
    Tā huí móu yí xiào, lìng rén nán wàng.
    She glanced back and smiled, which was unforgettable.
  • 回眸，。
    huí móu Lì shǐ, wǒ men yǒu hěn duō jiào xùn kě yǐ xī qǔ.
    Looking back at history, we have many lessons to learn.
  • 回眸，。
    Tā huí móu wǎng shì, gǎn kǎi wàn qiān.
    He looked back on the past with a myriad of emotions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

回huíturn
眸móueyes

'回' (turn) and '眸' (eyes) combine to mean turning the eyes backward, a glance back.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
牟
牟mù眸móu
Same sound today

The left part 目 is an eye, giving the meaning. The right part 牟 supplies the sound.

Open 眸 →

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