望眼欲穿 (wàng yǎn yù chuān) — to eagerly await with great anxiety; to long for desperately

Definition

A vivid 成语 meaning to wait anxiously and desperately for someone or something — emphasizes how long and painfully one has been waiting. Stronger and more literary than just 盼望 or 期待.

idiom
to eagerly await with great anxietyto long for desperately

Examples

  • 望眼欲穿。
    Tā wàng yǎn yù chuān dì děng dài zhàng fu de xiāo xi.
    She eagerly awaited news of her husband, her eyes straining with longing.
  • 望眼欲穿，。
    Mǔ qīn wàng yǎn yù chuān, pàn zhe ér zi zǎo rì huí jiā.
    The mother longed desperately for her son to come home soon.
  • 望眼欲穿。
    Tā wàng yǎn yù chuān dì pàn wàng zhe nà fēng xìn de dào lái.
    He waited anxiously for that letter to arrive.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

  • 臣臣chéneye
  • 𡈼𡈼𡈼person standing on the ground

望 originally showed 臣 (eye) beside 𡈼 (person standing on the ground): a person standing up and looking off into the distance. Later 月 was added, and the 臣 part became 亡.

Open 望 →

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
欠欠qiàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
谷
谷gǔ欲yù
Same sound today

欲 is made of 谷, which supplies the sound, and 欠, which relates to the meaning.

Open 欲 →

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

穿 puts 穴 (cave) and 牙 (tooth) together to show passing through or penetrating.

Open 穿 →

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