耳听八方 (ěr tīng bā fāng) — extremely vigilant; sharp-eared; can hear everything around

Definition

Chengyu meaning 'ears that catch sounds from all eight directions' — stay alert to everything around you. Often paired with 眼观六路 (eyes watching six roads) to describe keen situational awareness.

idiom
extremely vigilantsharp-earedcan hear everything around

Examples

  • 耳听八方，。
    Tā kāi chē shí ěr tīng bā fāng, fēi cháng ān quán.
    He is extremely vigilant while driving, very safe.
  • 耳听八方，。
    Zuò bǎo ān bì xū ěr tīng bā fāng, yǎn guān liù lù.
    A security guard must be sharp-eared and sharp-eyed.
  • 耳听八方，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo jǐng chá ěr tīng bā fāng, rèn hé dòng jìng dōu táo bú guò tā de ěr duo.
    This veteran policeman is extremely vigilant; no sound escapes his ears.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

耳 is drawn as a picture of an ear.

Open 耳 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →

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

八 shows two bent lines, indicating the original meaning 'to divide'; it was later used for 'eight' because the words sounded alike.

Open 八 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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