一眼

• Pinyin: yī yǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = one (a single); 眼 = 目 + 艮 (eye radical + firm/stable — the eye, organ of sight)

Meaning

At a glance; in a single look; at first sight. Describes perceiving, recognising, or judging something from one brief, unrepeated act of looking.

Common patterns: 一眼看出 (spot at a glance), 一眼认出 (recognise at first sight), 一眼望不到头 (so vast a single glance cannot reach the end). Conveys the speed and spontaneity of immediate visual perception. Also used figuratively for instant understanding or judgement upon first encounter.

Examples

1. 经验丰富的鉴定师只需一眼扫过，便能判断出这幅字帖是否出自名家之手。 An experienced appraiser only needs a quick glance to judge whether this calligraphy copybook is the work of a famous master.
2. 她在人群中一眼认出了多年未见的发小，两人的目光交汇后同时愣了片刻，随即相视而笑。 She recognized her childhood friend in the crowd at a glance; when their eyes met, they both froze for a moment, then smiled at each other.
3. 站在山顶远望，眼前的平原一眼望不到头，天边一线薄薄的雾气与地平线融为一体。 From the mountaintop, the plain stretched as far as the eye could see, with a thin band of mist on the horizon blending into the skyline.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, description, perception, literary

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 资深侦查员进入案发现场时，一眼便注意到门框上方一道极细的划痕，这个不起眼的细节后来成为还原犯罪经过的关键物证。(When the senior investigator entered the crime scene, they immediately spotted an extremely fine scratch mark above the door frame in a single glance; this inconspicuous detail later became the key piece of evidence in reconstructing the course of the crime.)
• 这位建筑评论家在看到建筑师的草图后，一眼就指出了结构重心偏移的问题，并预测若不加以修正，建成后的楼体将面临严峻的承重挑战。(After seeing the architect's sketch, the architecture critic immediately pointed out the problem of structural centre-of-gravity displacement in a single look, predicting that if uncorrected, the completed building would face serious load-bearing challenges.)

Don't Say

• 我一眼看了整本书 — 一眼 refers to a single, brief glance, not reading or studying at length; use 一口气读完 or 通读了一遍 for reading a whole book

Origin & History

一 (one/a single) + 眼 (eye — 目 eye radical + 艮 firm/stable; the fully formed eye as the organ of sight)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal