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目视 (mù shì) — visual (by sight, as opposed to by instruments or other means)

Definition

Compound adjective meaning 'done by sight, without instruments' (e.g. 目视检查, 目视飞行). Stress is on the direct, unaided visual method, contrasted with readings from instruments or remote sensing.

adjective
visual (by sight, as opposed to by instruments or other means)

Examples

  • 目视。
    Fēi xíng yuán jìn xíng le mù shì fēi xíng.
    The pilot conducted a visual flight.
  • 目视。
    Wǒ men xū yào zuò yí cì mù shì jiǎn chá.
    We need to do a visual inspection.
  • 目视。
    mù shì Guān cè shì tiān wén yán jiū de zhòng yào fāng fǎ.
    Visual observation is an important method in astronomical research.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

目mùeye
视shìlook

目 means eye and 视 means to look, so the sense is looking with the eyes, not with instruments.

Characters in this word

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 視; 视 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
示
示shì視shì
Same sound today

The story is about the traditional form 視: it combines 見, meaning see, with 示, which gives the sound shì.

Open 视 →
Appears in
Senses

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