心明眼亮
xīn míng yǎn liàng
clear-headed and sharp-eyed; able to see things for what they are
Character by character
心xīn
heart
heart
明míng
clear
clear
眼yǎn
eyes
eyes
亮liàng
bright
bright
Example
群众是心明眼亮的，谁真心为大家办事，大家都看得清清楚楚。
Ordinary people are nobody’s fools: they can see perfectly well who is really working for them.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
About judgement, not eyesight: a blind person can be 心明眼亮 and a sighted one not. Typically said of the public, an experienced judge or an old hand who cannot be fooled.
Learn this in Lesson 164 · HSK 7–9: 看不见的世界 (A world without sight)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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