(miáo) — to aim; to focus one's gaze on

Definition

verb
to aimto focus one's gaze on

Examples

  • Tā jǔ qǐ qiāng, zǐ xì dì miáo zhǔn mù biāo.
    He raised the gun and carefully aimed at the target.
  • Shè yǐng shī màn màn tiáo zhěng jìng tóu, miáo xiàng yuǎn chù de fēng jǐng.
    The photographer slowly adjusted the lens and aimed at the distant scenery.
  • Tā yòng qiāng kǒu miáo zhe yuǎn chù de mù biāo, yí dòng bú dòng.
    He aimed the gun at the distant target, not moving a muscle.

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
eye
Sound part声符shēngfú
miáomiáo
Same sound today

瞄 pairs 目 (eye) with 苗, which gives the sound; the eye part shows the meaning is about looking.

Appears in

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