眸

móu

牟 + 目

Definitions

móu pupil (of the eye); eye

Etymology phono-semantic

eye

Semantic: 目 Phonetic: 牟

About

眸 (móu) is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 目 (mù, eye) anchors the meaning in vision, and 牟 (móu) supplies the sound. Its core meaning is the pupil, the dark center of the eye through which light enters. By synecdoche, it is used in literary and poetic language for the eye as a whole, often highlighting the expressive quality, brightness, or intensity of a person's gaze.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她的眼眸很漂亮。

Tā de yǎnmóu hěn piàoliang.

Her eyes are very beautiful.

他明亮的眸子闪着光。

Tā míngliàng de móuzi shǎn zhe guāng.

His bright eyes are shining.

小女孩的眸子里充满好奇。

Xiǎo nǚhái de móuzi lǐ chōngmǎn hàoqí.

The little girl's eyes are full of curiosity.

在灯光下，她的眼眸像星星一样亮。

Zài dēngguāng xià, tā de yǎnmóu xiàng xīngxing yīyàng liàng.

Under the light, her eyes are as bright as stars.

他深邃的眸子似乎能看透人心。

Tā shēnsuì de móuzi sìhū néng kàntòu rénxīn.

His deep eyes seem to be able to see through people's hearts.

每当她微笑时，眼眸中总带着温柔的神色。

Měi dāng tā wēixiào shí, yǎnmóu zhōng zǒng dài zhe wēnróu de shénsè.

Whenever she smiles, there is always a gentle expression in her eyes.

透过他坚定的眸子，我看到了他对梦想的执着。

Tòuguò tā jiāndìng de móuzi, wǒ kàndào le tā duì mèngxiǎng de zhízhuó.

Through his determined eyes, I saw his dedication to his dreams.

在他忧郁的眸子里，隐藏着一段不为人知的故事。

Zài tā yōuyù de móuzi lǐ, yǐncáng zhe yī duàn bù wéi rén zhī de gùshì.

In his melancholy eyes, a story unknown to others is hidden.

Related Characters

Component: 牟

Component: 目

眸