瞟

piǎo

目 + 票

Frequency#3627

Definitions

piǎo to cast a glance

Etymology

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

Semantic: 目 Phonetic: 票

About

The character "瞟" is structured as a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical "目" representing eye or vision and the phonetic component "票" providing its pronunciation as piǎo. Etymologically, this combination was formed to denote the specific visual action of casting a sidelong glance, and over time its meaning shifted to encompass any quick or fleeting look, often with a subtle or casual connotation. The components remain directly indicative of its function, linking sight through "目" while "票" serves primarily as a sound indicator without contributing semantic content.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他瞟了一眼书。

Tā piǎo le yī yǎn shū.

He glanced at the book.

她偷偷瞟了老师一下。

Tā tōutōu piǎo le lǎoshī yīxià.

She secretly glanced at the teacher.

在会议上，他瞟了同事几眼。

Zài huìyì shàng, tā piǎo le tóngshì jǐ yǎn.

During the meeting, he glanced at his colleague a few times.

我瞟见窗外有一只小鸟。

Wǒ piǎo jiàn chuāng wài yǒu yī zhī xiǎo niǎo.

I caught a glimpse of a small bird outside the window.

他经常用眼角瞟别人。

Tā jīngcháng yòng yǎnjiǎo piǎo biérén.

He often glances at others from the corner of his eye.

尽管她装作不在意，但还是瞟了那封信。

Jǐnguǎn tā zhuāng zuò bù zàiyì, dàn háishì piǎo le nà fēng xìn.

Although she pretended not to care, she still glanced at that letter.

当经理讲话时，员工们都不时地瞟向时钟。

Dāng jīnglǐ jiǎnghuà shí, yuángōng men dōu bùshí de piǎo xiàng shízhōng.

When the manager was speaking, the employees glanced at the clock from time to time.

她快速地瞟了一眼手机屏幕，然后继续工作。

Tā kuàisù de piǎo le yī yǎn shǒujī píngmù, ránhòu jìxù gōngzuò.

She quickly glanced at her phone screen, then continued working.

Related Characters

Component: 目

Component: 票