视线 (shì xiàn) — line of sight | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

视线 (shìxiàn) means the line of sight — where your eyes actually point — distinct from 视力 (eyesight, the ability to see) and 视野 (field of view, the wider area you can see).

noun

line of sight

Measure word · 条

Examples

，视线。
Tū rán, wǒ de shì xiàn bèi yí liàng dà kǎ chē dǎng zhù le.
Suddenly, my line of sight was blocked by a large truck.
视线。
Yǎn jiǎng zhě de shì xiàn sǎo guò měi yí gè guān zhòng.
The speaker's line of sight swept across every audience member.
，视线。
Zài yōng jǐ de chéng shì lǐ, nǐ de shì xiàn jīng cháng huì bèi gāo lóu dǎng zhù.
In a crowded city, your line of sight is often blocked by tall buildings.

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.

视 (seeing) and 线 (line) form the line along which one sees.

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.

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.

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

泉quán線xiàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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