见势不妙

見勢不妙

jiànshìbùmiào

idiom

Meanings

Tā jiànshìbùmiào, gǎnjǐn liū zǒu le.

Sensing things were going south, he slipped away in a hurry.

Tóuzīzhě jiànshìbùmiào, fēnfēn pāoshòu gǔpiào.

Investors saw the writing on the wall and rushed to dump their shares.

grammar

Almost always used as the first clause, followed by the evasive action: 见势不妙，… (subject + escape verb). Common verbs that follow: 溜, 逃, 撤, 转身就跑.

usage

Carries a slightly cowardly or self-preserving tint. For neutral 'reading the situation,' use 审时度势.

见 jiàn

势 shì

不 bù

妙 miào