尽收眼底 (jìn shōu yǎn dǐ) — to have everything in full view at a glance, a panoramic view

Definition

Literally 'all taken in by the eye's base': used when a wide, complete scene is visible from one viewpoint — emphasizes that everything fits within your gaze at once.

idiom
to have everything in full view at a glance, a panoramic view

Examples

  • ，尽收眼底。
    Zhàn zài shān dǐng shàng, zhěng gè chéng shì jìn shōu yǎn dǐ.
    Standing on the mountaintop, the whole city comes into full view.
  • ，尽收眼底。
    Cóng zhè shàn chuāng hu wàng qù, zhěng gè huā yuán jìn shōu yǎn dǐ.
    Looking out from this window, the entire garden is in full view.
  • ，尽收眼底。
    Dēng shàng tǎ dǐng, sì zhōu fēng jǐng jìn shōu yǎn dǐ.
    Climbing to the top of the pagoda, the surrounding scenery is captured in one glance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

尽收gather completely
尽jìnall/completely收shōugather
偏正Modifier + head
眼底bottom of the eye
眼yǎneye底dǐbottom
偏正Modifier + head

尽收 (gather completely) and 眼底 (bottom of the eye) combine to mean everything is gathered into view.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū收shōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

收 uses 攴 to show an action and 丩 as a sound clue; the old meaning was 'to arrest.'

Open 收 →

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 →

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
广广guǎngbuilding
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī底dǐ
Same sound today

底 pairs 广 (building) with 氐, pointing to the bottom or foundation of a building. Some read 氐 as a bowing figure or tree root, adding a sense of 'down'.

Open 底 →

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