目瞪口呆
- Literal
- eyes staring, mouth agape
- Figurative
- To be stunned speechless; so amazed or so startled that you just stare, unable to get a word out.
Where does 目瞪口呆 come from?
It doesn't come from any particular story: it's a set phrase of the kind that fills popular fiction and is still alive in everyday speech. It's built from two parallel halves that split the reaction between two parts of the face: 目瞪, eyes wide open and fixed on something, and 口呆, a mouth gone dead, unable to get anything out. It often follows a verb with 得 (吓得, 惊得, 看得) that names what caused the shock, and it fits fright and admiration alike.
How is 目瞪口呆 used? Two examples
- 听到这个结果，大家都目瞪口呆。
When they heard the result, everyone was left speechless.
- 他表演的魔术看得孩子们目瞪口呆。
The magic tricks he performed left the kids staring open-mouthed.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
