刮目相看
See someone in a new light
A look at the characters in 刮目相看 (guā mù xiāng kàn)
刮 (guā): to wipe
目 (mù): eyes (目光 - mù guāng)
相 (xiāng): indicates action is being performed by one towards another
看 (kàn): generally means “to see,” here it speci cally means “to regard” (看待 - kàn dài)
Do you know anyone who went to China and came back speaking Chinese uently, making you look at them in a whole new light?
Or are you in China right now and want to WOW everyone when you go back home?
Here’s one step in that direction: 刮目相看 (guā mù xiāng kàn).
刮目相看 means to see someone in a whole new light. Literally, it means to rub your eyes and take a good look. Generally, it’s used to describe people who have improved signi cantly in some way, making it impossible to look at them in the same way as before.
“国内消费市场的活力令人刮目相看”
“guónèi xiāofèi shìchǎng de huólì lìngrén guāmùxiāngkàn”
“The domestic consumer market’s vitality makes people see it in a new light (or “do a double take”)”
“这让所有人对她刮目相看”
“zhè ràng suǒyǒu rén duì tā guāmùxiāngkàn”
“This made everyone look at her in a whole new light”
“随时随地跟朋友分享你的生活，让大 家对你的拍照水平刮目相看”
“suíshísuídì gēn péngyǒu fēnxiǎng nǐ de shēnghuó, ràng dàjiā duì nǐ de pāizhào shuǐpíng guāmùxiāngkàn”
“By sharing your life with your friends in all places and at all times, it makes everyone see your ability to photograph in a whole new light”
“各品牌先后推出了不少让人刮目相看 的产品”
“gè pǐnpái xiānhòu tuīchū le bùshǎo ràng rén guāmùxiāngkàn de chǎnpǐn”
“One after another, all the brands introduced many products that made people look at them in a new light”