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近在眼前 (jìn zài yǎn qián) — right under one's nose / in plain sight

Definition

An idiomatic phrase meaning something is physically or figuratively right in front of you — so close and obvious that it's easy to overlook. Used when someone missed what was plainly visible.

verb
right under one's nose / in plain sight

Examples

  • ，？
    Nǐ yào zhǎo de yào shi jiù jìn zài yǎn qián, zěn me méi kàn jiàn?
    The keys you're looking for are right under your nose — how did you not see them?
  • 近在眼前。
    Tā zhǎo le hǎo jiǔ de shǒu jī qí shí jiù zài shēn biān jìn zài yǎn qián.
    The phone she'd been looking for for ages was actually right beside her, under her nose.
  • 近在眼前，。
    Wèn tí dá àn qí shí jìn zài yǎn qián, zhǐ shì dà jiā dōu méi zhù yì dào.
    The answer to the problem is right in front of us, but no one noticed.

Origin

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
斤
斤jīn近jìn
Same sound today

近 combines 辶, a walking radical, with 斤, which gives the sound. The walking part fits the idea of moving close to something.

Open 近 →

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

The early form of 在 used 才 for its sound; a second sound part 士 was added later, and that 士 became the 土 seen in 在.

Open 在 →

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.

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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