Verbal Measure Words 3 — 眼 yǎn
Literally “eye,” borrowed as a measure word for a single glance or look — it goes right after a seeing verb to say how many times you looked.
The pattern is Verb + 了 + 一眼 (+ Object). 眼 yǎn pairs with seeing verbs — 看 kàn (look), 瞄 miǎo (glance), 瞪 dèng (glare) — to mark one quick, single glance.
1 Usage
眼 yǎn — A Glance or Look
眼 yǎn and 下 xià both mark a brief, single instance of an action, but they’re not interchangeable. 眼 yǎn is specific to seeing — it only pairs with verbs like 看, 瞄, and 瞪. 下 xià is far more general, attaching to almost any verb to mean “for a bit” — 等一下 (wait a moment), 想一下 (think it over), 看一下 (take a look). If the action involves your eyes and you want to emphasize the quick, visual nature of it, reach for 一眼; otherwise 一下 covers everything else.
2 Practice Quiz
Fill in the blank with the correct measure word.
我看了一 ＿＿＿ 时钟。
I glanced at the clock.
他瞄了一 ＿＿＿ 文件。
He took a quick look at the document.
她回头看了我一 ＿＿＿。
She glanced back at me.
看一 ＿＿＿ 就好，别盯着看。
Just take a glance, don’t stare.
老师瞪了他一 ＿＿＿。
The teacher glared at him.
我偷看了一 ＿＿＿ 答案。
I peeked at the answer.
决定前再看一 ＿＿＿。
Take one more look before you decide.
她紧张地看了一 ＿＿＿ 手表。
She glanced nervously at her watch.
他斜看了同事一 ＿＿＿。
He glanced sideways at his colleague.
我只来得及看一 ＿＿＿ 菜单。
I only had time for a quick glance at the menu.
Enjoyed this post? Buy me a coffee so I can keep writing more of these ☕
Support OneDotDot Chinese