眷

睠

juàn

目 + 龹

Definitions

juàn (bound form) one's family, esp. wife and children; (literary) to regard with love and affection; to feel concern for

juàn (literary) to regard with love and affection; to feel concern for (variant of 眷[juàn])

Etymology phono-semantic

eye

Semantic: 目 Phonetic: 龹

About

眷 (juàn) is a phono-semantic compound: 目 (eye) provides the meaning of looking or gazing, while 龹 (quǎn) supplies the sound. Originally a verb, it depicted looking back fondly or gazing with affection. Over time, this sense of caring attention shifted the character into a noun for those one looks after, family members, relatives, and dependents.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他的家属都很健康。

Tā de jiāshǔ dōu hěn jiànkāng.

His family members are all very healthy.

我们十分眷恋故乡的山水。

Wǒmen shífēn juànliàn gùxiāng de shānshuǐ.

We deeply cherish the mountains and rivers of our hometown.

公司为员工家属提供了福利。

Gōngsī wèi yuángōng jiāshǔ tígōngle fúlì.

The company provides benefits for employees' family members.

这份眷顾之情，我将永远铭记在心。

Zhè fèn juàngù zhī qíng, wǒ jiāng yǒngyuǎn míngjì zài xīn.

This kindness and care, I will forever remember in my heart.

他对这片土地有着难以割舍的眷恋。

Tā duì zhè piàn tǔdì yǒuzhe nányǐ gēshě de juànliàn.

He has an attachment to this land that is hard to part with.

她眷眷不忘的是童年时的美好回忆。

Tā juànjuàn bù wàng de shì tóngnián shí de měihǎo huíyì.

What she fondly remembers are the beautiful memories from her childhood.

这份深厚的眷注，给了他前进的勇气。

Zhè fèn shēnhòu de juànzhù, gěile tā qiánjìn de yǒngqì.

This profound concern and attention gave him the courage to move forward.

在异国他乡，他对亲人的眷念与日俱增。

Zài yìguó tāxiāng, tā duì qīnrén de juànniàn yǔ rì jù zēng.

In a foreign land, his longing for his family grows with each passing day.

Related Characters

Component: 目

Component: 龹

眷