📖 Meaning
To have both heard about something with one's own ears and seen it with one's own eyes. It emphasizes direct, firsthand experience of an event or situation, rather than relying on secondhand reports.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a letter by the Southern Song dynasty poet and scholar Liu Kezhuang, titled 'Reply to Liu Tingzhou' (回刘汀州书), collected in his 'Houcun Quanji' (后村全集). In the letter, Liu writes that he has personally heard of and witnessed the outstanding scholars and benevolent people of the world, and through the request of a worthy descendant seeking to honor them, his own name could be attached to their legacy for immortality — which he regarded as a great fortune. The expression has since come to denote firsthand knowledge gained through direct sensory experience.
💡 Example Usage
他对这件事耳闻目击，了解得非常清楚。
He personally heard and witnessed the matter, so he understands it very clearly.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 耳闻目击
- Pinyin: ěr wén mù jī
- Literal Translation: ear hears, eye witnesses
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4