📖 Meaning
属 means to concentrate or focus on a single point. The idiom describes something that draws people's attention, catching their eyes and ears. It is used when a person or thing is conspicuous and hard to ignore.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom does not trace to a single specific classical source. It is formed from the common classical usage of 属 (to concentrate, to gather) combined with 人耳目 (people's ears and eyes), a conventional metonymy for attention. It appears sporadically in late imperial and modern literary Chinese as a descriptive phrase. No particular dynasty or historical figure is uniquely associated with its coinage.
💡 Example Usage
这幅画色彩浓烈，颇为属人耳目。
The colors of this painting are so intense that it quite catches the eye.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 属人耳目
- Pinyin: shǔ rén ěr mù
- Literal Translation: concentrate, people, ears, eyes
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4