触目惊心
触目惊心 (chù mù jīng xīn) literally means “touch eyes shock heart” and expresses “shocking; deeply disturbing”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: chu mu jing xin, chu mu jing xin,触目惊心 meaning, 触目惊心 in english
Shocking; deeply disturbing
Pronunciation: chù mù jīng xīn Literal meaning: Touch eyes shock heart
Origin & Usage
To strike (触) the eye (目) and startle (惊) the heart (心). The two clauses put the impact in sequence — the sight arrives and the body answers — which is why the phrase belongs to things seen rather than things learned. That precision matters: Chinese does not use it of bad news, but of the photograph, the ward, the wreckage. It has since stretched to cover statistics laid out starkly enough to work the same way, and there the metaphor is doing deliberate work.
Examples
English: "The devastation from the earthquake was deeply shocking."
Chinese: 地震造成的破坏触目惊心。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
大惊小怪
dà jīng xiǎo guài
Make a fuss about nothing
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触景生情
chù jǐng shēng qíng
Moved by the sight of something familiar
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意想不到
yì xiǎng bù dào
Unexpected; unforeseen
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恍如隔世
huǎng rú gé shì
Feeling as if ages have passed
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不知所措
bù zhī suǒ cuò
At a loss; not knowing what to do
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触类旁通
chù lèi páng tōng
Apply knowledge broadly
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惊心动魄
jīng xīn dòng pò
Thrilling, hair-raising
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胆战心惊
dǎn zhàn xīn jīng
Extreme fear or anxiety
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 触目惊心 mean in English?
触目惊心 (chù mù jīng xīn) literally translates to “Touch eyes shock heart” and is used to express “Shocking; deeply disturbing”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 触目惊心 used?
Situation: The devastation from the earthquake was deeply shocking.
What is the pinyin for 触目惊心?
The pinyin pronunciation for 触目惊心 is “chù mù jīng xīn”.