眼前

• Pinyin: yǎn qián
• Hanzi breakdown: 眼 = 目 (eye) + 艮 (hard/stubborn, phonetic); 前 = 止 (stop/foot) + 刂 (knife), originally meaning to advance

Meaning

Before one's eyes; at present; right now. What is directly in front of someone, or the current moment.

Used in two main ways: (1) physically, meaning 'right in front of someone's eyes' — 眼前的风景 (the scenery before one's eyes); (2) temporally, meaning 'at the present moment' — 眼前的困难 (the current difficulties). Common in both spoken and written Chinese. Often contrasted with 将来 (the future) to emphasise focusing on the present.

Examples

1. 眼前的困难只是暂时的。 The difficulties at hand are only temporary.
2. 一片美丽的风景出现在我们眼前。 A beautiful landscape appeared before our eyes.
3. 我们要先解决眼前的问题。 We need to solve the current problems first.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, narrative, encouragement

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 不要只看眼前的利益。(Don't only look at short-term benefits.)
• 机会就在眼前，一定要抓住。(The opportunity is right in front of you; you must seize it.)

Don't Say

• 眼前十年后会怎么样？(Don't combine 眼前 with future time phrases — 眼前 means 'right now' or 'in front of one's eyes'. For future matters, use 将来 or 以后.)

Origin & History

眼 means 'eye' and 前 means 'front' or 'before'. Together they literally describe what is in front of one's eyes, extended to mean the present moment or immediate situation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal