熟视无睹

Pronunciation: shú shì wú dǔ Literal meaning: Look but not see

Origin & Usage

The idiom 熟视无睹 (shú shì wú dǔ) is commonly used in classical Chinese literature to describe a situation where someone looks at something familiar without truly seeing it, indicating indifference or neglect. This expression first appeared in the Jin dynasty, in Liu Ling's work 《酒德颂》, where it was used to illustrate how one might become so accustomed to certain sights that they no longer notice them. The characters break down as follows: 熟 (shú) means 'familiar,' 视 (shì) means 'to look,' 无 (wú) means 'without,' and 睹 (dǔ) means 'to see.' In modern usage, this idiom often describes a lack of concern for common issues or suffering, highlighting a tendency to overlook what is right in front of us.

Examples

English: "After years of living in the same neighborhood, he failed to notice the changes around him."

Chinese: 在同一个社区生活多年后，他没有注意到周围的变化。