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开眼 (kāi yǎn) — to broaden one's mind; to have one's eyes opened; to see something remarkable for the first time

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to have one's eyes opened' — to see or experience something remarkable for the first time. Often used as 开了眼了 or 大开眼 to express being impressed or enlightened by a new experience.

verb
to broaden one's mindto have one's eyes openedto see something remarkable for the first time

Examples

  • 开眼，。
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng ràng wǒ dà kāi yǎn, xué dào le hěn duō dōng xī.
    This trip really opened my eyes and taught me a lot.
  • ！
    Kàn nà ge biǎo yǎn zhēn shì kāi le yǎn le!
    Watching that performance was truly an eye-opener!
  • ，开眼。
    Tā dì yī cì kàn dào dà hǎi, zhí hū kāi yǎn.
    The first time he saw the ocean, he exclaimed how eye-opening it was.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

开kāiopen
眼yǎneye

Opening the eyes gives the sense of seeing something new and broadening one's 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 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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