crane neck to peep furtively; look around sneakily
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to crane one's neck and look around furtively; to peep sneakily; to spy furtively
Describes someone acting suspiciously, trying to see without being seen. Often used with verbs like 只见 or 看见. Carries a slightly negative connotation of stealth or nosiness.
Zhǐ只
jiàn见
mén门
wài外
yī一
gè个
rén人
tàn探
tóu头
tàn探
nǎo脑
，
dōng东
zhāng张
xī西
wàng望
。
I saw a person outside the door craning their neck and looking around furtively, glancing in every direction.
Xiǎo小
tōu偷
tàn探
tóu头
tàn探
nǎo脑
de地
guān观
chá察
le了
yī一
huìr会
cái儿
，
zǒu才
jìn走
yuàn进
zi院
子
。
The thief peered around sneakily for a moment before entering the courtyard.
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Tā他
zài在
jīng经
lǐ理
bàn办
gōng公
shì室
mén门
kǒu口
tàn探
tóu头
tàn探
nǎo脑
，
hǎo好
xiàng像
yǒu有
shén什
me么
jí急
shì事
。
He was craning his neck at the manager's office door, as if he had some urgent matter.