眼 yǎn — eye; a look, a glance; a small hole or aperture; measure word for wells and springs

Pinyin

• yǎn (third tone, dipping)

eye; a look, a glance; a small hole or aperture; measure word for wells and springs

Character breakdown

• 目meaning partThe eye radical, stood upright by the writing column.
• 艮sound partno entry yet艮 gèn for the sound; the same phonetic as in 很, 跟 and 银.

Mnemonic

The eye 目 with 艮 for the sound. 目 is the older word and is now mostly bookish, so the everyday noun is 眼睛 — with 睛, the same eye plus 青 for the sound, a character that exists almost only in this pair. Also 眼镜 spectacles, and 看一眼, to take a look, counted by the glance.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 眼

• 眼yǎn (third tone, dipping)eye
• 眼睛yǎnjing (third tone, dipping)eye, eyes
• 眼前yǎn (third tone, dipping) qián (second tone, rising)before one's eyes
• 眼神yǎn (third tone, dipping) shén (second tone, rising)expression or emotion showing in one's eyes
• 眼泪/眼淚yǎn (third tone, dipping) lèi (fourth tone, falling)tears
• 眼镜/眼鏡yǎn (third tone, dipping) jìng (fourth tone, falling)spectacles
• 眼里/眼裡yǎnli (third tone, dipping)In the eyes
• 眼光yǎn (third tone, dipping) guāng (first tone, high and level)gaze
• 亲眼/親眼qīn (first tone, high and level) yǎn (third tone, dipping)with one's own eyes
• 眼下yǎn (third tone, dipping) xià (fourth tone, falling)now
• 眼看yǎn (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling)soon
• 耀眼yào (fourth tone, falling) yǎn (third tone, dipping)to dazzle
• 着眼/著眼zhuó (second tone, rising) yǎn (third tone, dipping)to have one's eyes on (a goal)
• 眨眼zhǎ (third tone, dipping) yǎn (third tone, dipping)to blink
• 字眼zì (fourth tone, falling) yǎn (third tone, dipping)wording
• 一眼yī (first tone, high and level) yǎn (third tone, dipping)a glance
• 显眼/顯眼xiǎn (third tone, dipping) yǎn (third tone, dipping)conspicuous
• 不起眼bù (fourth tone, falling) qǐ (third tone, dipping) yǎn (third tone, dipping)unremarkable
• 眼界yǎn (third tone, dipping) jiè (fourth tone, falling)ken
• 转眼/轉眼zhuǎn (third tone, dipping) yǎn (third tone, dipping)in a flash
• 抢眼/搶眼qiǎng (third tone, dipping) yǎn (third tone, dipping)eye-catching
• 眼色yǎn (third tone, dipping) sè (fourth tone, falling)a wink
• 眼红/眼紅yǎn (third tone, dipping) hóng (second tone, rising)to covet
• 红眼/紅眼hóng (second tone, rising) yǎn (third tone, dipping)to become infuriated
• 眉开眼笑/眉開眼笑méi (second tone, rising) kāi (first tone, high and level) yǎn (third tone, dipping) xiào (fourth tone, falling)brows raised in delight, eyes laughing (idiom); beaming with joy
• 心眼儿/心眼兒xīn (first tone, high and level) yǎn (third tone, dipping) r (neutral tone)one's thoughts
• 见钱眼开/見錢眼開jiàn (fourth tone, falling) qián (second tone, rising) yǎn (third tone, dipping) kāi (first tone, high and level)to open one's eyes wide at the sight of profit (idiom); thinking of nothing but personal gain
• 着眼于/著眼於zhuóyǎn (second tone, rising) yú (second tone, rising)Focus on

Radical 目 — other characters

• 看kàn (fourth tone, falling) kān (first tone, high and level)to look at, to watch, to read; to consider, to regard; to visit; to consult (a doctor); (kān) to look after, to keep watch over
• 目mù (fourth tone, falling)eye; an item or entry in a list (目录 a table of contents)
• 睡shuì (fourth tone, falling)to sleep; to lie down to sleep