眼波 (yǎn bō) — a loving or flirtatious glance (literary, often of a woman)

Definition

Literary term for a flirtatious or affectionate glance — usually a woman's eyes conveying feeling, more poetic than the everyday 看/眼神.

noun
a loving or flirtatious glance (literary, often of a woman)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 眼波。
    Tā de yǎn bō ràng rén xīn dòng.
    Her affectionate glance made people's hearts flutter.
  • 眼波。
    Shī rén yòng yǎn bō lái xíng róng nǚ zǐ de róu qíng.
    Poets use "yanbo" to describe a woman's tender feelings.
  • 眼波，。
    Nà yì mǒ yǎn bō, fǎng fú sù shuō zhe qiān yán wàn yǔ.
    That hint of a loving glance seemed to speak a thousand words.

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
波bōwave

眼 and 波 picture a look as waves from the eyes, giving a flirtatious glance.

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 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí波bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 氵 is water, and the right side 皮 gives the sound.

Open 波 →

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