📖 Meaning
To look at someone with new eyes; to reassess a person after they have made notable progress. It conveys setting aside previous impressions and acknowledging someone's growth or transformation.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the story of Lu Meng (吕蒙), a general of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Originally a warrior with little education, Lu Meng was urged by his lord Sun Quan to study diligently. After considerable effort, the strategist Lu Su visited him and was astonished by his newfound strategic insight. Lu Su remarked that he could no longer view Lu Meng as the same unlearned officer, prompting Lu Meng to say he should be seen with new eyes. Over time, the phrase evolved into '刮目相见', a variant of the more common '刮目相待'.
💡 Example Usage
他经过一年的刻苦学习，成绩突飞猛进，令老师刮目相见。
After a year of diligent study, his grades soared, making his teacher see him in a new light.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 刮目相见
- Pinyin: guā mù xiāng jiàn
- Literal Translation: scrape, eyes, mutually, see
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4