眼观四面，耳听八方 in English yan3 guan1 si4 mian4 , er3 ting1 ba1 fang1 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) the eyes observe all sides and the ears listen in all directions (idiomatic expression)
  • metaphorically to be observant and alert

Simplified Characters

眼 观 四 面 ， 耳 听 八 方

Traditional Characters

眼 觀 四 面 ， 耳 聽 八 方

Pinyin

yan3 guan1 si4 mian4 , er3 ting1 ba1 fang1

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

眼yan3eye 观guan1surname Guan 四si4four 面mian4face ， 耳er3ear 听ting1smile (archaic) 八ba1eight 方fang1surname Fang