望穿秋水

Pronunciation: wàng chuān qiū shuǐ Literal meaning: Gazing through autumn waters

Origin & Usage

This descends from drama and verse of the Yuan and after, where autumn water (秋水) is a standing figure for clear bright eyes. To look until the autumn waters are worn through (望穿) is to watch for someone so long and so hard that the eyes themselves give out. The hyperbole is about duration, and the one waiting is always the one who cannot act. Longing for somebody's arrival with exhausting intensity.

Examples

English: "She waited at the station, gazing through autumn waters for his return."

Chinese: 她在车站望穿秋水，等待他的归来。