直视

• Pinyin: zhí shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 直 = straight; 视 = 礻+ 见 (look/regard)

Meaning

To look straight at; to gaze directly. Meeting someone's eyes or confronting something head-on.

Used both literally (eye contact) and figuratively (facing problems). 直视现实 (face reality squarely), 不敢直视 (unable to look directly — often due to shame or fear). Eye contact carries cultural significance in interpersonal communication.

Examples

1. 他直视着对方的眼睛，语气坚定地表达了自己的立场。 He looked the other person straight in the eyes and stated his position firmly.
2. 面对过去的错误，我们应该勇于直视而非逃避。 When it comes to past mistakes, we should face them bravely instead of avoiding them.
3. 强烈的阳光让人无法直视，她不得不戴上墨镜。 The intense sunlight was too strong to look at directly, so she had to put on sunglasses.

Usage Guide

Context: communication, confrontation, description

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 他直视镜头，向全国观众发表了重要讲话。(He looked directly into the camera and delivered an important speech to the national audience.)
• 谈话时保持直视对方，表示你在认真倾听。(Maintaining direct eye contact during conversation shows you are listening attentively.)

Don't Say

• 我直视了那本书 — 直视 implies gazing at a person or confronting an issue; for reading, use 看 or 阅读

Origin & History

直 (straight/directly) + 视 (look at)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal