青眼

Chinese

		black	eye
trad. (青眼)		青	眼
simp. #(青眼)		青	眼

Etymology

From Book of Jin's account of Ruan Ji, a poet and musician famed his eccentricity:

籍又能爲靑白眼，見禮俗之士，以白眼對之。及嵇喜來弔，籍作白眼，喜不懌而退。喜弟康聞之，乃齎酒挾琴造焉，籍大悅，乃見靑眼。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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籍又能为靑白眼，见礼俗之士，以白眼对之。及嵇喜来吊，籍作白眼，喜不怿而退。喜弟康闻之，乃赍酒挟琴造焉，籍大悦，乃见靑眼。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Jí yòu néng wèi qīng bái yǎn, jiàn lǐsú zhī shì, yǐ báiyǎn duì zhī. Jí Jī Xǐ lái diào, jí zuò báiyǎn, xǐ bùyì ér tuì. Xǐ dì kāng wén zhī, nǎi jī jiǔ xié qín zào yān, jí dàyuè, nǎi xiàn qīngyǎn. [Pinyin]

(Ruan) Ji could either show others his eyes' dark pupils or his eyes' whites; when meeting literati of etiquettes and customs (i.e. conventionalists), he only showed them his eyes' whites. Once Ji Xi came to offer condolences, (Ruan) Ji showed his eyes' whites (to Ji Xi), (Ji) Xi was displeased and left. (Ji) Xi's younger brother Kang heard that, so (Ji Kang) visited (Ruan Ji) bringing liquors and carrying a zither. (Ruan) Ji was overjoyed, and showed his eyes' dark pupils.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qīngyǎn

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄥ ㄧㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cing¹ ngaan⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qīngyǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄥ ㄧㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cingyǎn
    • Wade–Giles: chʻing¹-yen³
    • Yale: chīng-yǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chingyean
    • Palladius: цинъянь (cinʺjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cing¹ ngaan⁵
    • Yale: chīng ngáahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsing¹ ngaan⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: qing¹ ngan⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵ ŋaːn¹³/

Noun

青眼

1. (archaic) the colored portion of the eye; iris
2. (figurative) appreciation; favorable regard

Verb

青眼

1. (literary, figurative) to appreciate; to esteem

Synonyms

• 青睞／青睐 (qīnglài)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “all senses”): 白眼 (báiyǎn)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
青	眼
あお Grade: 1	め Grade: 5
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
靑眼 (kyūjitai)

For pronunciation and definitions of 青眼 – see the following entry.

【青目あおめ】 [noun] blue eyes [noun] Westerner

(This term, 青眼, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)