Chinese word

眼神

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǎn shén

Meaning

  • nounlook

Example

她用怀疑的眼神看着他。tā yòng huái yí de yǎn shén kàn zhe tā

She gave him a suspicious look.

Illustration for 眼神 (look)

More examples

他朝她投来赞许的眼神。tā cháo tā tóu lái zàn xǔ de yǎn shén

He gave her an approving look.

Core concept

A person's eyes as a visible signal of inner feeling, attitude, or intent.

Common phrases

  • 交换眼神jiāo huàn yǎn shén

    exchange glances

  • 用眼神示意yòng yǎn shén shì yì

    signal with a look

  • 投来赞许的眼神tóu lái zàn xǔ de yǎn shén

    give an approving look

Similar words

目光mù guāng: A gaze that shows what someone is looking at and where their attention is focused.
视线shì xiàn: The direction in which the eyes are looking as they follow something.
眼色yǎn sè: A look in someone's eyes used as a clue to their mood or intention.
表情biǎo qíng: A visible change across the face that shows emotion or reaction.

Definition in Chinese

眼睛通过表情和目光变化所表现出的情绪、态度或暗示，常用于无言的交流场合。yǎn jīng tōng guò biǎo qíng hé mù guāng biàn huà suǒ biǎo xiàn chū de qíng xù tài dù huò àn shì cháng yòng yú wú yán de jiāo liú chǎng hé

Word origin

眼 (yǎn, "eye") names the organ, while 神 (shén, "spirit or expression") points to the feeling or character revealed through it.

Usage tips

  • Chinese often treats 眼神 (yǎnshén, "look in one's eyes") as something that can be described by an attitude word, rather than using it only for the direction of a gaze.

Other meanings

  • gazenoun
  • look in one's eyesnoun

Related words

  • 眼神儿yǎn shénrlook in one's eyesnoun
  • 眼神交流yǎn shén jiāo liúeye contactnoun

Word lists with this word