眼

yǎn

目 + 艮

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

yǎn (noun) eye

yǎn (noun) hole; opening

yǎn (noun) crucial point; crux (of a matter)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

Semantic: 目 Phonetic: 艮

About

眼 is a phono-semantic compound with the radical 目 (eye) on the left, indicating its semantic category of vision, and the component 艮 on the right, which provides the phonetic element. Its original meaning referred specifically to the eyeball, later extending to the entire visual organ and the abstract concept of sight. The meaning also developed metaphorically to denote small openings like keyholes or the pivotal center of an object, drawing on the eye's physical characteristics.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

眼睛是心灵的窗户。

Yǎn jing shì xīn líng de chuāng hu.

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

他戴上了一副新眼镜。

Tā dài shàng le yī fù xīn yǎn jìng.

He put on a new pair of glasses.

妹妹的眼圈红了，快要哭了。

Mèi mei de yǎn quān hóng le, kuài yào kū le.

My younger sister's eyes are reddening; she's about to cry.

他的眼光长远，善于规划未来。

Tā de yǎn guāng cháng yuǎn, shàn yú guī huà wèi lái.

He has a long-term vision and is good at planning for the future。

医生仔细检查了他的眼底。

Yī shēng zǐ xì jiǎn chá le tā de yǎn dǐ.

The doctor carefully examined his ocular fundus.

透过现象看本质需要敏锐的眼力。

Tòu guò xiàn xiàng kàn běn zhì xū yào mǐn ruì de yǎn lì.

Seeing the essence beyond the phenomenon requires sharp insight.

这场艺术展览让我大开眼界。

Zhè chǎng yì shù zhǎn lǎn ràng wǒ dà kāi yǎn jiè.

This art exhibition really broadened my horizons.

他敏锐地察觉到计划中的关键点，真是独具慧眼。

Tā mǐn ruì de chá jué dào jì huà zhōng de guān jiàn diǎn, zhēn shì dú jù huì yǎn.

He keenly detected the key point in the plan; he truly has a unique and discerning eye.

Related Characters

Component: 目

Component: 艮

眼