Chinese idiom · 成语
东张西望
Meaning
Looking east and west; distracted curiosity.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary usageZhang and wang both concern looking; east and west suggest turning one's attention in different directions. In chapter 10 of Ping Yao Zhuan, a wandering monk carrying a staff walks about beside the woods and looks around. The dictionary cites this scene as a literary use of the expression.
The phrase describes visible behavior rather than a particular emotion. Depending on the situation, someone may be searching for a person, curious about unfamiliar surroundings, or failing to concentrate. The words alone do not establish fear or suspicion. No separate historical event behind their creation is established by this citation.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
他在车站东张西望，想找到来接他的朋友。
He looked all around the station, trying to find the friend who was picking him up.
Can be neutral searching or critical distraction; give context.