About
The character 眯 (mī or mǐ) relates to the eyes, describing either the action of narrowing the eyelids to squint or the sensation of a foreign object trapped inside. Its semantic radical 目 (mù), meaning "eye", grounds the character in the bodily organ and its function. The right-side component 米 (mǐ), meaning "rice" or "grains", serves both as a phonetic element and a semantic hint, evoking the small, granular particles, like dust, that often cause irritation. The two pronunciations correspond to distinct usages: one for the deliberate act of squinting to focus or block light, and the other for the involuntary reflex triggered by particles entering the eye.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
她笑眯眯地点头。
他眯着眼睛看太阳。
猫在沙发上眯了一会儿。
我眯起眼睛仔细看那张照片。
阳光刺眼，他不得不眯着双眼。
他总是笑眯眯的，让人感到亲切。
眯了一会儿后，我感觉精神好多了。
为了避免强光伤害眼睛，他眯起了眼皮。