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有目共睹 (yǒu mù gòng dǔ) — obvious to all; clear for everyone to see

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'plain for all to see' — used in writing or speeches to emphasize that a fact, achievement, or trend is undeniable.

idiom
obvious to allclear for everyone to see

Examples

  • ，。
    Zhè xiē nián lái, zhōng guó de jīng jì fā zhǎn chéng jiù yǒu mù gòng dǔ.
    In recent years, China's economic development achievements have been obvious to all.
  • ，。
    Tā de nǔ lì hé jìn bù yǒu mù gòng dǔ, dà jiā dōu wèi tā gāo xìng.
    His efforts and progress are clear for everyone to see, and everyone is happy for him.
  • ，。
    Huán jìng wū rǎn de wèn tí yǐ jīng yuè lái yuè yán zhòng, zhè shì yǒu mù gòng dǔ de shì shí.
    The problem of environmental pollution has become more and more serious — this is an obvious fact.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

有目having eyes
有yǒuhave目mùeyes
动宾Verb + object
共睹together see
共gòngtogether睹dǔsee
偏正Modifier + head

有目 (having eyes) and 共睹 (together see) combine to mean everyone can plainly see it.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →

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

  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands
  • 口口kǒuan object

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Open 共 →

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
者
者zhě睹dǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

睹 pairs 目 (eye), related to seeing, with 者 as a part hinting at the sound.

Open 睹 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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