CHENGYU
炯炯有神(jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, approving
- Source:
- 明·李开先《闲居集》
MEANING
- Literal
- bright eyes full of spirit
- Figurative meaning
- with bright, spirited eyes
ORIGIN STORY
The Ming writer Li Kaixian described a respected scholar: "His two eyes were bright and full of spirit." 炯炯 is the glow of a lamp — here the light behind a person's gaze.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“with bright, sparkling eyes”
EXAMPLES
老人虽年过八十，眼睛依然炯炯有神。Lǎorén suī nián guò bāshí, yǎnjing yīrán jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén.HSK6
Though past eighty, the old man's eyes are still bright with spirit.
他炯炯有神地看着大家。Tā jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén de kàn zhe dàjiā.HSK6
He gazes at everyone with bright, spirited eyes.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Note the reading: 炯 is jiǒng. It describes the eyes only — not voices, faces, or rooms.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01