触目惊心 chùmù-jīngxīn literally shocks the eye, astonishes the heart
literally shocks the eye, astonishes the heart (idiom); shocking; horrible to see; a ghastly sight
How to remember 触目惊心: 触 to butt + 目 eye + 惊 frighten + 心 heart = literally shocks the eye, astonishes the heart.
Characters
How it is used
- So shocking to see it startles the heart - 场面触目惊心 (chǎngmiàn chùmù-jīngxīn) a shocking, ghastly scene.
- Used for disaster scenes, appalling statistics, gruesome sights that alarm the viewer.
- Written/formal idiom, strongly negative.