Learn a Chinese Character - 睛

1. Character Basics

Radical: 目/mù (eye radical)

Stroke Count: 13

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jīng (first tone)

3. Meaning

Eye, eyeball

4. Common Words

• 眼睛 (yǎn jing) - eye
• 目不转睛 (mù bù zhuǎn jīng) - to gaze fixedly, to stare intently
• 定睛 (dìng jīng) - to fix one's eyes on
• 点睛之笔 (diǎn jīng zhī bǐ) - the finishing touch, crucial point
• 火眼金睛 (huǒ yǎn jīn jīng) - piercing eyes, sharp eyesight
• 眼睛雪亮 (yǎn jing xuě liàng) - sharp-eyed, discerning

5. Grammar & Usage

Part of Speech: Mainly used as a noun

Usage Patterns:

• 眼 + 睛: 眼睛 (yǎn jing) - eye (most common usage)
• 动词 + 睛: 定睛 (dìng jīng) - to fix one's eyes, 转睛 (zhuǎn jīng) - to turn one's eyes
• 形容词 + 睛: 明睛 (míng jīng) - bright eyes, 圆睛 (yuán jīng) - round eyes
• 四字成语: 目不转睛 (mù bù zhuǎn jīng) - to stare intently, 火眼金睛 (huǒ yǎn jīn jīng) - piercing eyes

Note: "睛" is almost always used in combination with other characters, especially "眼", rather than alone.

6. Cultural Background

Symbolism: In Chinese culture, eyes are considered the windows to the soul. Phrases like "眼睛是心灵的窗户" (Yǎnjing shì xīnlíng de chuānghu) reflect this belief.

Literary Expression: Chinese literature often uses eye descriptions to reveal a character's emotions or personality. For example, "亮晶晶的眼睛" (liàng jīng jīng de yǎnjing) describes bright, lively eyes.

Idiomatic Usage: Many Chinese idioms involving "睛" convey observations about human behavior. For instance, "目不转睛" (mù bù zhuǎn jīng) describes someone's intense focus or interest.

Traditional Medicine: Traditional Chinese medicine pays special attention to the eyes as indicators of health and balance in the body.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Character Breakdown: "睛" is composed of "目" (mù, eye radical) on the left and "青" (qīng) on the right.

Visual Association: The left part "目" clearly indicates that this character is related to the eye. The right part "青" provides the pronunciation.

Mnemonic Device: Imagine a clear (青 qīng) eye (目 mù) - together they form "睛" (jīng), which means eye.

Word Association: Connect "睛" with the most common word "眼睛" (yǎn jing, eye) to help remember its meaning. You can also think of idioms like "目不转睛" (mù bù zhuǎn jīng) which describes fixed eye gaze.