The Chinese term 字眼 (zìyǎn) is a compound noun formed by combining 字 (zì), meaning "character" or "word", with 眼 (yǎn), meaning "eye". The construction is metaphorical: 眼 here does not refer to a physical eye but to a "key point" or "focus", much like the eye of a needle is its crucial opening. Thus, 字眼 literally translates to "the eye of a word", and figuratively refers to the precise, critical, or most telling word within a phrase, the specific term that carries particular weight, nuance, or significance in a given context.