<p>The original English text for the excerpt you’ve given above is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>And when you go into her room, don't forget to say, good-morning, and don't peep into every corner before you do it."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So here “peep into every corner” was translated 东瞧西䐐. It’s a fairly true translation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-21T12:27:02.150Z
Thank you @user3306356, you are right. Even though [Grimm Stories](https://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/little_red_cap) does not have that version, other sources (e.g. [Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Grimm%27s_Household_Tales,_vol.1.djvu/192)) do. In this, a bit archaic, context "peep into every corner" has a negative connotation, as in being rude. Does 东瞧西䐐 have that feel to?
celaeno
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-21T13:34:16.650Z
@celaeno Absolutely. A more common phrase would be 东张西望 or you could even just say something like 东看西看, but it's always negative in connotation.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-20T22:44:48.830Z
2020-02-20T23:00:01.547Z
2020-02-20T23:00:01.547Z
Mou某
<p>this structure 东V西V could means:</p>

<p>1 do sth repeatedly and <strong>blindly</strong></p>

<p>2 do sth repeatedly and <strong>leisurely</strong></p>

<p>3 do sth repeatedly and <strong>curiously</strong></p>

<p>4 do sth repeatedly</p>

<p>In your sentence, it means "keeps looking around curiously".</p>

<p>Similarly:</p>

<p>东跑西颠, 东倚西靠 keeps XX leisurely</p>

<p>东躲西藏, 东拉西扯: keeps xx blindly</p>

<p>东奔西跑 just means "run around here and there", doesn't imply more information.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-02T16:03:02.540Z
2020-03-02T16:03:02.540Z
sfy
<p>东瞧西瞅 literally means <strong>look the east and the west</strong>.  If we extend its literal meaning, it would be  <strong>look here and there</strong> or <strong>look around</strong>.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-20T23:46:08.737Z
2020-02-20T23:46:08.737Z
dan
<p>In Mandarin translation of Little Red Riding Hood that can be found around (<a href="https://www.grimmstories.com/zh/grimm_tonghua/xiaohongmao" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Grimm Stories</a>, <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B0%8F%E7%BA%A2%E5%B8%BD/5286" rel="nofollow noreferrer">BaiDuBaiKe</a>), mother warns Little Red Riding Hood: "外婆家的时候，别忘了说‘早上好’，也不要一进屋就东瞧西瞅。" How would you translate 东瞧西瞅 in this sentence? I have seen translations like "look around" but it does not seem to make much sense in the context.</p>

<meaning><idioms>
The meaning of 东瞧西瞅?
# The meaning of 东瞧西瞅?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-20)

In Mandarin translation of Little Red Riding Hood that can be found around ([Grimm Stories](https://www.grimmstories.com/zh/grimm_tonghua/xiaohongmao), [BaiDuBaiKe](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%B0%8F%E7%BA%A2%E5%B8%BD/5286)), mother warns Little Red Riding Hood: "外婆家的时候，别忘了说‘早上好’，也不要一进屋就东瞧西瞅。" How would you translate 东瞧西瞅 in this sentence? I have seen translations like "look around" but it does not seem to make much sense in the context.

**Tags:** meaning, idioms

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-02-20. Score: 2

The original English text for the excerpt you’ve given above is:

> And when you go into her room, don't forget to say, good-morning, and don't peep into every corner before you do it."

So here “peep into every corner” was translated 东瞧西䐐. It’s a fairly true translation.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you @user3306356, you are right. Even though [Grimm Stories](https://www.grimmstories.com/en/grimm_fairy-tales/little_red_cap) does not have that version, other sources (e.g. [Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Grimm%27s_Household_Tales,_vol.1.djvu/192)) do. In this, a bit archaic, context "peep into every corner" has a negative connotation, as in being rude. Does 东瞧西䐐 have that feel to?  
> **username_1**: @celaeno Absolutely. A more common phrase would be 东张西望 or you could even just say something like 东看西看, but it's always negative in connotation.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-03-02. Score: 1

this structure 东V西V could means:

1 do sth repeatedly and **blindly**

2 do sth repeatedly and **leisurely**

3 do sth repeatedly and **curiously**

4 do sth repeatedly

In your sentence, it means "keeps looking around curiously".

Similarly:

东跑西颠, 东倚西靠 keeps XX leisurely

东躲西藏, 东拉西扯: keeps xx blindly

东奔西跑 just means "run around here and there", doesn't imply more information.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-02-20. Score: 0

东瞧西瞅 literally means **look the east and the west**. If we extend its literal meaning, it would be **look here and there** or **look around**.


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