📖 Meaning
To hear with one's own ears and see with one's own eyes. It describes gaining knowledge through direct personal experience rather than hearsay or secondhand accounts. The idiom emphasizes firsthand observation as the most reliable basis for understanding.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Northern Qi dynasty work 'Yan's Family Instructions' (颜氏家训) by Yan Zhitui, specifically the chapter 'Guixin' (归心). In this passage, Yan discusses the principle of karmic retribution, arguing that the evidence of believing or slandering is as reliable as an echo following a sound. He notes that he has personally heard and seen many such cases, and even if retribution is delayed, it will eventually come.
💡 Example Usage
他在乡村生活多年，耳闻目见了许多感人的故事。
Having lived in the countryside for many years, he personally heard and saw many touching stories.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 耳闻目见
- Pinyin: ěr wén mù jiàn
- Literal Translation: ear, hear, eye, see
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4