1

I wonder if you could let me know how a native speaker would imply the situation in which two people are saying goodbye to each other and while they are getting away they are looking with their eyes tied to one another.

This is an emotional case that may happen when two people do not tend to be separated from someone they love and they wish they could stay together.

Example:

She and I were close friends since childhood. We had really fallen in love with each other and up the time when her family decided to move to New York City, we were not aware about our true feelings towards each other. I'll never forget the moment when her parents were waiting for her in their car and we were tearfully saying goodbye to each other.

While our hands were getting separated, our eyes were tied up to each other...

The bold sentence above is an exact translation of such emotional moment. Please let me know whether it is natural in English? If not, how would you describe it.

P.S. Unfortunatelly I couldn't find any related image including both (hands and eyes of lovers at saying goodbye). So I tried to add two separated photos.enter image description hereenter image description here

Ah! What a sad moment is that...

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

One word used is lock. From the Oxford Dictionaries

lock
VERB
3 Make or become rigidly fixed or immovable.

their gaze locked for several long moments
He stepped forward rigidly, his eyes locking on hers.

The first phrase of your sentence seems a little awkward, and reversing the ideas, I suggest

Our eyes were locked as our hands separated.

Or, if this was a moment of realisation, as the narrative suggests, just

Our eyes locked as our hands separated.

Improve this answer
3
  • Thank you very much @Weather Vane. But can I say: "Our eyes were locked as our hands were getting separated."? Is it natural from the tense point of view?
    – A-friend
    May 23, 2019 at 9:15
  • 2
    The phrase "getting separated" doesn't seem very natural, except when talking about a divorce. How about something more expressive such as "as our hands were slipping apart"?
    – Weather Vane
    May 23, 2019 at 9:22
  • How about as “our hands parted”
    – Stefan
    May 25, 2019 at 9:13

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .