immediately; watch helplessly
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesadverb
immediately; soon; right away
informalIndicates that something is about to happen or will happen very soon. Often used in spoken language.
Huǒ火
chē车
yǎn眼
kàn看
jiù就
yào要
jìn进
zhàn站
le了
。
The train is about to arrive at the station.
Yǎn眼
kàn看
jiù就
yào要
xià下
yǔ雨
le了
，
wǒ我
men们
kuài快
huí回
jiā家
ba吧
。
It's about to rain, let's go home quickly.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Gōng工
zuò作
yǎn眼
kàn看
jiù就
yào要
wán完
chéng成
le了
。
The work is almost finished.
verb
to watch helplessly; to stand by and let something happen
Indicates passively watching an unfortunate or undesirable situation unfold without taking action. Often conveys a sense of frustration, powerlessness, or resignation.
Wǒ我
men们
bù不
néng能
yǎn眼
kàn看
zhe着
hái孩
zi子
fàn犯
cuò错
wù误
ér而
bù不
qù去
guǎn管
。
We can't just stand by and watch the child make mistakes without intervening.
Tā他
yǎn眼
kàn看
zhe着
zì自
jǐ己
de的
mèng梦
xiǎng想
pò破
miè灭
le了
。
He watched helplessly as his dream shattered.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Wǒ我
men们
bù不
néng能
yǎn眼
kàn看
zhe着
gōng公
sī司
jiù就
zhè这
yàng样
dǎo倒
bì闭
。
We can't just stand by and let the company go bankrupt like this.