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瞑目 (míng mù) — to die content, to close one's eyes in death (often in the negative construction 死不瞑目, meaning 'to die with regret')

Definition

Literary verb meaning 'to die content / close one's eyes in death.' Almost always used in the fixed phrase 死不瞑目 ('die with regret'), meaning some wish remains unfulfilled.

verb
to die contentto close one's eyes in death (often in the negative construction 死不瞑目, meaning 'to die with regret')

Examples

  • 瞑目。
    Lǎo rén zài zǐ nǚ de péi bàn xià ān jìng dì míng mù le.
    The old man peacefully closed his eyes in death, accompanied by his children.
  • ，。
    Tā méi néng bào dá ēn rén, sǐ bù míng mù.
    He could not repay his benefactor, so he died with regret.
  • ，瞑目。
    Wǒ ruò bù néng wán chéng zhè xiàng rèn wu, sǐ bù míng mù.
    If I cannot complete this task, I will die with unfulfilled wishes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

瞑míngclose
目mùeyes

The close and eyes senses combine to mean closing one's eyes, hence dying content.

Characters in this word

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
冥
冥míng瞑míng
Same sound today

瞑 pairs 目 (eye) with 冥 (dark), and this combination is used for closing the eyes.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →
Appears in
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