一目了然 (yī mù liǎo rán): Clear at a Glance, Meaning and Examples

Something becomes clear to understand

The form here is 一目了然, with the dictionary reading yī mù liǎo rán. 了 is liǎo, not the unstressed particle le, in this expression. The appendix also records 一目瞭然. [1]

The phrase describes understanding clearly with a look. “Clear at a glance” is an explanatory English equivalent. A timetable, relationship or contrast may be the thing that becomes clear. The focus is clarity, rather than the reader completing a large amount of text quickly.

A clear statement can still be wrong. The expression does not establish that a timetable is current, a figure is accurate or a comparison includes every relevant factor.

Two original sentences name what became clear

The following examples are invented for language learning.

把两组时间并排列出来，哪里重叠就一目了然了。

“Once the two sets of times are listed side by side, their overlap becomes clear at a glance.” The subject of the judgment is the overlap. The sentence does not claim that someone checked the original booking records.

图上把人物关系标清以后，谁是谁的长辈就一目了然。

“Once the diagram labels the character relationships clearly, it is easy to see who is whose elder.” The clarity comes from labels, not from an unspecified claim that the reader is exceptionally fast.

Present the same facts in two ways

This is an original fictional timetable exercise. Both displays contain exactly these facts: Group A uses Room 1 on Monday from 10:00 to 11:00; Group B uses Room 1 on Monday from 10:30 to 11:30. These are not actual bookings.

Prose display: On Monday, Group A uses Room 1 from 10:00 to 11:00, and Group B uses Room 1 from 10:30 to 11:30.

The aligned rows make the shared room, shared day and overlapping interval easier to compare. The overlap is 10:30–11:00. That calculation follows the supplied times; it is not a measured result from user testing.

The table reorganises the facts rather than introducing a new booking. If you add a previously missing room or time while revising a document, describe that as adding information as well as changing presentation.

Clarity is different from speed and close inspection

一目十行 foregrounds reading speed. 一目了然 foregrounds how clearly something can be understood. A short, well-labelled diagram may be 一目了然 even for a reader who takes time with long prose.

走马观花 foregrounds a cursory look lacking close attention. An overview may be clear about the categories it contains while still requiring later inspection of the underlying details. The expressions address different claims and need not be treated as mutually exclusive labels for every act of looking.

Name both the visible answer and the remaining question

A useful description is 时间冲突一目了然，但还要确认哪份安排是最新的: “The scheduling conflict is clear at a glance, but we still need to confirm which arrangement is current.” It separates a visible relationship from a question about the underlying records.

When using the idiom, identify what becomes clear, which labels or comparisons show it, and what further checking the task requires. A neat layout helps a reader locate an answer. It does not replace the source for that answer.

For a vocabulary note, keep 一目了然 and 一目瞭然 together with liǎo. Separating the spelling note from the timetable example makes it easier to review the form and then practise its meaning.

Choose the claim supported by the table

Original exercise: You can see the overlap in the fictional table, but no official room schedule has been consulted. Which report is accurate?

1. “The two supplied intervals overlap; their current booking status still needs confirmation.”
2. “The table proves that both official bookings are current and valid.”