望眼欲穿

wàngyǎn-yùchuān

idiom #56,891

Meanings

1 to gaze until one's eyes bore through
2 to await something with intense longing

Characters

about to; want to

to pierce through

Examples

HSK 3

母亲望眼欲穿地等着儿子回家。

Mǔqīn wàngyǎnyùchuān de děng zhe érzi huíjiā.

Mother waits for her son to come home, her eyes straining with longing.

HSK 7-9

粉丝望眼欲穿地等待偶像登场。

Fěnsī wàngyǎnyùchuān de děngdài ǒuxiàng dēngchǎng.

Fans wait on tenterhooks for their idol to come on stage.

Tips

history

Bai Juyi wrote (Tang) '青眼望中穿' (worn-out eyes gazing); Yang Wanli wrote (Song) '饥望炊烟眼欲穿' (hungry gaze at smoke until the eyes want to pierce). The modern phrase distills both images.

Stroke Order

望 wàng

眼 yǎn

欲 yù

穿 chuān