视而不见
视而不见 (shì ér bù jiàn) literally means “look but not see” and expresses “turn a blind eye; deliberately ignore”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: shi er bu jian, shi er bu jian,视而不见 meaning, 视而不见 in english
Turn a blind eye; deliberately ignore
Pronunciation: shì ér bù jiàn Literal meaning: Look but not see
Origin & Usage
This comes from the Great Learning, which says that where the mind is not present, one looks (视) and does not (不) see (见), listens and does not hear, eats and does not taste. The failure is of attention rather than of the eye, and the passage treats it as a moral condition rather than a lapse. Deliberately not seeing what is in front of you — and the original charge, that this is a condition of the person and not of the eye, is still audible.
Examples
English: "Management deliberately ignored the obvious problems."
Chinese: 管理层对明显的问题视而不见。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
侧目而视
cè mù ér shì
Regard with fear and resentment
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一视同仁
yī shì tóng rén
Treat everyone equally without discrimination
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熟视无睹
shú shì wú dǔ
Indifference to the familiar
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不言而喻
bù yán ér yù
Self-evident requiring no explanation
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各抒己见
gè shū jǐ jiàn
Everyone freely express their own opinions
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相见恨晚
xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn
Regret not meeting sooner; instant rapport
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一见钟情
yī jiàn zhōng qíng
Love at first sight
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一见如故
yī jiàn rú gù
Instant connection
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 视而不见 mean in English?
视而不见 (shì ér bù jiàn) literally translates to “Look but not see” and is used to express “Turn a blind eye; deliberately ignore”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 视而不见 used?
Situation: Management deliberately ignored the obvious problems.
What is the pinyin for 视而不见?
The pinyin pronunciation for 视而不见 is “shì ér bù jiàn”.