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察言观色

察言觀色
cháyán-guānsè
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to read someone's words and facial expression
  2. 2 to gauge another's mood
  3. 3 to pick up on social cues

Examples

她善于察言观色，很会处理人际关系。
Tā shànyú cháyánguānsè, hěn huì chǔlǐ rénjì guānxi.
She's good at reading people and handles relationships well.
在职场里，学会察言观色很重要。
Zàizhí chǎng lǐ, xuéhuì cháyánguānsè hěn zhòngyào.
Learning to read the room is important in the workplace.

Tips

history
From 《论语·颜渊》: 察言而观色,虑以下人. Originally described a thoughtful, deferential person — modern usage is more neutral, about social attunement.

Stroke Order

察 chá
言 yán
观 guān
色 sè