📖 Meaning
Things become completely clear at a single glance. It describes a situation where the facts or overall picture are immediately obvious and easy to understand without further explanation.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Song dynasty work 《朱子语类》(Conversations of Master Zhu) by the influential Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi (1130–1200). Zhu Xi used the expression to describe how the fundamental principles of things can become immediately apparent when one's understanding is sufficiently clear. The phrase later entered common usage as a general description of anything that is instantly comprehensible.
💡 Example Usage
这份图表设计得很好，数据趋势一目了然。
This chart is very well designed — the data trends are clear at a glance.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一目了然
- Pinyin: yī mù liǎo rán
- Literal Translation: one, eye, clear, so
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4