Chinese word

目不转睛

Pronunciation

Pinyinmù bù zhuǎn jīng

Meaning

  • idiomstare intently

Example

孩子们都目不转睛地看着表演。hái zi men dōu mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì kàn zhe biáo yǎn

The children all watched the performance without taking their eyes off it.

Illustration for 目不转睛 (stare intently)

More examples

他目不转睛地盯着手机屏幕，直到电量用完。tā mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì dīng zhe shǒu jī píng mù zhí dào diàn liàng yòng wán

He stared intently at the phone screen until the battery ran out.

Core concept

The eyes stay locked on a sight that completely captures the viewer's attention.

Common phrases

  • 目不转睛地盯着手机屏幕mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì dīng zhe shǒu jī píng mù

    stare intently at the phone screen

  • 目不转睛地注视着前方mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì zhù shì zhe qián fāng

    stare intently ahead

Similar words

目不斜视mù bù xié shì: Looking straight ahead with no glance to either side.
目不窥园mù bù kuī yuán: Giving complete attention to study instead of noticing outside sights or seeking entertainment.

Definition in Chinese

表示被某事物完全吸引注意，眼睛紧盯着不移开。biǎo shì bèi mǒu shì wù wán quán xī yǐn zhù yì yǎn jīng jǐn dīng zhe bù yí kāi

Word origin

目 (mù, "eye") + 不 (bù, "not") + 转 (zhuǎn, "turn") + 睛 (jīng, "eyeball") literally describes eyes that do not turn, giving the idiom its sense of a fixed, absorbed gaze.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, this idiom usually describes how someone watches and commonly serves as an adverbial modifier before a viewing action.

Other meanings

  • be glued toidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word