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眼光 (yǎn guāng) — gaze, look (the direction of one's sight); insight, taste, discernment (ability to judge quality or value); perspective, way of looking at things (a point of view)

Definition

眼光 is a literal 'gaze' but more often your taste or judgment in judging quality — e.g. choosing gifts or people. Compared to 目光 (more about literal look or attention) and 远见 (long-term foresight), 眼光 is everyday judgment in the present.

noun
gazelook (the direction of one's sight)insighttastediscernment (ability to judge quality or value)perspectiveway of looking at things (a point of view)

Examples

  • 眼光。
    Tā kàn wǒ de yǎn guāng ràng wǒ jué de bù shū fu.
    The way he looked at me made me uncomfortable.
  • 眼光，。
    Tā xuǎn lǐ wù hěn yǒu yǎn guāng, měi cì dōu hěn shòu huān yíng.
    He has great taste in choosing gifts; every time and again.
  • 眼光。
    Nǐ bù néng yòng lǎo yǎn guāng kàn xiàn zài de nián qīng rén.
    You can't judge today's young people with old perspectives.

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.

眼yǎneye
光guānglight

眼 (eye) and 光 (light) combine as the light of the eye, giving gaze or insight.

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
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 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6SensesThinking & Cognition

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.