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眼睛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
眼睛yǎnjingeyeHSK 2, n, rank #584, Medium
眼睛yǎnjing>只[zhī],雙HSK 2, n, rank #584, Medium
眼睛yǎnjing>双[shuāng]HSK 2, n, rank #584, Medium
yǎnjing(yan3jing5) T3
  1. 1eye
  2. 2>只[zhī],雙
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March 24, 2026
眼睛yǎnjing(yan3jing5)

眼睛 (yǎn jīng) refers to the eyes, which are vital organs for vision. In everyday language, it can be used in various contexts, such as describing someone's appearance, expressing feelings, or discussing health. It is a common noun that may also appear in idiomatic expressions.

Frequency#584DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, eyes are often associated with beauty and personality. The phrase 眼睛大代表美 (big eyes represent beauty) is a common sentiment in discussions about attractiveness.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pair of eyes peering through a pair of 'yarn' glasses, where 'yarn' sounds like 'yan' and 'glasses' help you see clearly. The character 眼 combines the radical 目, meaning 'eye', with the character 'yen' (睛), suggesting clarity and vision.

Meanings of 眼睛

yǎnjing(yan3jing5)
1eye
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 眼睛

眼睛Simplified
—Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#584Frequency Rank
只Measure Word
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 眼睛

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Podcast: 眼睛

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AI Study Notes for 眼睛

Quick Contrast

眼睛 (eye) vs 目 (mù, eye as in the organ or sight) — use 眼睛 for everyday references to the eyes, while 目 is more formal or literary.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a pair of eyes peering through a pair of 'yarn' glasses, where 'yarn' sounds like 'yan' and 'glasses' help you see clearly. The character 眼 combines the radical 目, meaning 'eye', with the character 'yen' (睛), suggesting clarity and vision.

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tones, as mispronouncing 眼 (yǎn) can lead to confusion with other words. This word is generally neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. Common collocations include 眼睛大 (big eyes) and 眼睛小 (small eyes).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 眼睛 connects well with other body parts like 手 (shǒu, hand) and 耳朵 (ěr duo, ear). Focus on practicing pronunciation and using it in simple sentences to describe people or express feelings.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, eyes are often associated with beauty and personality. The phrase 眼睛大代表美 (big eyes represent beauty) is a common sentiment in discussions about attractiveness.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 眼 (yǎn) with 耳 (ěr) due to similar sounds, leading to errors like saying 眼耳 (yǎn ěr) instead of 眼睛 (yǎn jīng) for 'eye'. Remember that 眼睛 specifically refers to eyes.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 眼睛

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Component Characters

眼yǎneye
HSK 511 strokes目
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睛jīngeye
HSK 513 strokes目
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Write 眼睛

眼
睛

Practice writing 眼睛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 眼睛

眼睛 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons4
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

那个女孩儿高高的个子，大大的____，非常漂亮。

That girl has a tall figure and big eyes — very beautiful.

Example Sentences for 眼睛 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你真该看看他谈到家的时候眼睛放光的模样。

nǐ zhēn gāi kàn kàn tā tán dào jiā de shí hòu yǎn jīng fàng guāng de mó yàng。

You should see his eyes light up when he talks about home.
2
科金斯气得眯起眼睛。“你认为我会告诉你？”

kē jīn sī qì dé mī qǐ yǎn jīng。“ 。“ nǐ rèn wéi wǒ huì gào sù？”

Coggins' eyes narrowed angrily. "You think I'd tell you?"
3
她的丝绸连衣裙是天蓝色的，和她眼睛的颜色一样。

tā de sī chóu lián yī qún shì tiān lán sè de， ， hé tā yǎn jīng de yán sè yī。

Her silk dress was sky-blue, the colour of her eyes.
4
可能是愤怒蒙蔽了他的眼睛，也可能是他判断有误。

kě néng shì fèn nù mēng bì le tā de yǎn jīng， ， yě kě néng shì tā pàn duàn yǒu。

Perhaps anger had clouded his vision, perhaps his judgment had been faulty.
5
她凝视着他的眼睛，一脸诚恳。

tā níng shì zháo tā de yǎn jīng， ， yī liǎn chéng。

Her eyes stared into his with an expression of absolute honesty.
6
他眼睛直视前方，加速超过了前面一辆慢吞吞行进的大卡车。

tā yǎn jīng zhí shì qián fāng， ， jiā sù chāo guò le qián miàn yī liàng màn tūn tūn háng jìn de dà kǎ。

He looked straight ahead and overtook a lumbering lorry.
7
他身体出现了神经性抽搐，开始不停地眨眼睛。

tā shēn tǐ chū xiàn le shén jīng xìng chōu chù， ， kāi shǐ bù tíng dì zhǎ yǎn。

He developed a nervous twitch and began to blink constantly.
8
珍妮非常漂亮，身材苗条，有一双蓝色的眼睛。

zhēn nī fēi cháng piāo liàng， ， shēn cái miáo， tiáo ， yǒu yī shuāng lán sè de。

Jean is pretty, of slim build, with blue eyes.
9
这个小女孩眼睛一直紧盯着他身后的那堵墙。

zhè gè xiǎo nǚ hái yǎn jīng yī zhí jǐn dīng zháo tā shēn hòu de nà dǔ qiáng。

The child kept her eyes fixed on the wall behind him.
10
她放下了那块一直用来擦眼睛的手帕。

tā fàng xià le nà kuài yī zhí yòng lái cā yǎn jīng de shǒu pà。

She lowered the handkerchief which she had kept dabbing at her eyes.

Cultural Notes for 眼睛

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, eyes are often associated with beauty and personality. The phrase 眼睛大代表美 (big eyes represent beauty) is a common sentiment in discussions about attractiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions about 眼睛

The measure word is 隻 (zhī) when referring to one eye, e.g., 一隻眼睛 (yī zhī yǎn jīng).