目瞪口呆 mùdèng-kǒudāi dumbstruck
(idiom) dumbstruck; stupefied; stunned
How to remember 目瞪口呆: 目 eye + 瞪 to stare at + 口 mouth (Kangxi radical 30) + 呆 dull = dumbstruck.
Characters
How it is used
- Eyes wide, mouth open - struck dumb by shock: 听到这个消息，大家都目瞪口呆 (tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, dàjiā dōu mùdèng-kǒudāi) hearing the news, everyone was stunned speechless.
- Contrast 目不转睛 (rapt attention): this idiom is astonishment or disbelief, not admiration. Often follows 惊得/吓得 to show cause.
Example sentences
- 他们惊得目瞪口呆。 Tāmen jīng de mùdèngkǒudāi.They were left speechless.