耳聰目明

简 耳聪目明 · 繁 耳聰目明
Mandarin · pinyin ěr cōng mù míng

Meanings

  1. sharp ears and keen eyes (idiom)
  2. keen and alert
  3. perceptive
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Characters in this entry

耳
ěr · ear; merely, only; handle; Kangxi radical 128
聰
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目
mù · eye; look, see; division, topic; Kangxi radical 109
明
míng · bright, light, brilliant; clear
聪
cōng · intelligent, clever, bright
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–1–4–2 · er3 cong1 mu4 ming2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) sharp of hearing and vision
  2. (idiomatic) well-informed

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

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