chá
yán
guān

idiom
common
verb

Meaning of 察言观色

察言观色 means to watch what sb says and how they behave; to read body language; to size up the situation by observing words and expressions. Pronounced chá yán guān sè.

  • to watch what sb says and how they behave; to read body language; to size up the situation by observing words and expressions

Definitions & Examples

shàn
chá
yán
guān
 
hěn
kuài
jiù
míng
bai
le
lǎo
bǎn
de
zhēn
shí
 

He is good at reading body language and quickly understood the boss's true intentions.

Zuò
wéi
míng
yōu
xiù
de
xiāo
shòu
rén
yuán
 
xué
huì
chá
yán
guān
 

As an excellent salesperson, you must learn to read people.

chá
yán
guān
 
xiàn
fēn
yǒu
xiē
gān
 
gǎn
jǐn
zhuǎn
le
huà
 

She read the room, noticed the atmosphere was a bit awkward, and quickly changed the subject.

Zài
zhè
de
guān
chǎng
shàng
 
dǒng
de
chá
yán
guān
shì
hěn
nán
shēng
cún
de
 

In this complex officialdom, it is difficult to survive without knowing how to read the signs.