眸 (móu) — pupil (in literary compounds); eye (in literary compounds)

Definition

Literary word for 'pupil' or 'eye', only used inside compounds like 眸子, 眼眸, 明眸. Avoid in everyday speech — use 眼睛 instead.

bound form
pupil (in literary compounds)eye (in literary compounds)

Examples

  • 眸。
    Tā de móu zi lǐ shǎn zhe lèi guāng.
    Her pupils glistened with tears.
  • 。
    Tā shēn qíng dì níng wàng zhe tā de yǎn móu.
    He gazed deeply into her eyes.
  • ‘眸’。
    Shī rén yòng 'míng móu' lái xíng róng qīng chè de yǎn jing.
    The poet uses 'bright pupils' to describe clear eyes.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
牟
牟mù眸móu
Same sound today

The left part 目 is an eye, giving the meaning. The right part 牟 supplies the sound.

Appears in

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