眼下

• Pinyin: yǎn xià
• Hanzi breakdown: 眼 = 目 (eye) + 艮 (firm gaze); 下 = 一 (horizontal line) + 卜 (downward mark — what lies directly below)

Meaning

At present; right now; at this moment. Refers to the current state of affairs or the immediate moment in time.

Temporal expression indicating the immediate present, often with an implication that the situation may change. Similar to 目前 (currently) and 当前 (at present), but slightly more colloquial. Often used to contrast the present with the past or future: 眼下的形势 (the current situation), 眼下最重要的是… (what matters most right now is…).

Examples

1. 眼下全球经济面临多重不确定性，各国央行在制定货币政策时都面临着平衡增长与抑制通胀的艰难抉择。 Right now, the global economy faces multiple uncertainties, and central banks everywhere are grappling with the difficult choice of balancing growth with curbing inflation.
2. 他虽然有很多长远规划，但眼下最迫切的任务仍然是完成手头正在进行的项目，以便顺利结束这一阶段的工作。 He may have plenty of long-term plans, but right now his most urgent task is still to finish the project in front of him so he can wrap up this stage of work smoothly.
3. 眼下疫情防控形势趋于稳定，但专家提醒公众仍需保持必要的个人防护习惯，不可掉以轻心。 Right now, pandemic control is trending toward stability, but experts remind the public to keep up basic personal protective habits and not let their guard down.

Usage Guide

Context: news, business, everyday, policy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 眼下国内消费市场的复苏势头虽然明显，但基础尚不稳固，仍需要持续的政策支持和市场信心的进一步巩固来维持增长动能。(The current recovery momentum in the domestic consumer market is evident, but the foundation is not yet solid; it still requires sustained policy support and further consolidation of market confidence to maintain its growth momentum.)
• 眼下正值企业年报发布的密集期，投资者需要仔细甄别财务数据背后的真实经营状况，避免被短期数据的波动所迷惑。(We are currently in the intensive period of corporate annual report releases; investors need to carefully discern the true operating conditions behind the financial data and avoid being misled by short-term fluctuations in figures.)

Don't Say

• 眼下以前 — 眼下 refers to the present moment and cannot be paired with past-tense markers like 以前 or 过去; for a past present-moment say 当时 (at that time) or 那时 (then)

Origin & History

眼 (eye — 目 + 艮) + 下 (below/under — a horizontal line with a mark below it, indicating the space directly beneath) — what one sees directly beneath one's eyes; the immediate present

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal