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刮目相看

Mandarin · pinyin guā mù xiāng kàn

to have a whole new level of respect for sb or sth
to sit up and take notice (of sb's improved performance etc)

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Characters in this entry

刮: guā · shave, pare off, scrape
目: mù · eye; look, see; division, topic; Kangxi radical 109
相: xiāng · mutual, reciprocal, each other
看: kàn · look, see; examine, scrutinize

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–4–1–4 · gua1 mu4 xiang1 kan4

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gwaat3 muk6 soeng1 hon1

Cantonese word readings for 刮目相看. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

gwaat3 muk6 soeng1 hon1

Pleco · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Word reading; meanings not aligned.

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be astonished by someone's progress
(idiomatic) to treat someone with renewed respect

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack