About
The character "睁", which means to open the eyes, is formed by combining the semantic radical for eye (目) with the phonetic component "争", a structure mirrored in its traditional form "睜" where the phonetic element appears as "爭". This phonetic component, while primarily guiding pronunciation, subtly contributes to the character's connotations by evoking ideas of effort or contention, thus reflecting the attentive or forceful act of widening the gaze. Historically, the expression for opening the eyes was conveyed through a range of terms, but "睁" steadily emerged to specifically capture this physical action, often implying a sudden or full opening associated with alertness, surprise, or realization. Over time, its meaning has remained focused on this core visual action, with the character's design continuously underscoring the link between the eye radical and the phonetic hint, even as the simplified form adopted a streamlined version of the phonetic element.
Example Sentences Hide
他睁开了眼睛。
请你睁开眼睛看看。
孩子惊恐地睁大了双眼。
她一直睁着眼等到天亮。
对这个问题我们不能睁一只眼闭一只眼。
他明明看见了，却睁眼说瞎话。
在强光下，他勉强睁开了眼睛。
他第一次睁眼看这个陌生而复杂的世界。