眉 (méi) — eyebrow (bound form, used in compounds like 眉毛, 眉头); top margin or header of a page (in 页眉, 眉批)
Definition
Bound form rarely used alone; learners meet it mainly in 眉毛 (eyebrow) and the metaphor 眉头 ('brow' = mood). Also appears in book-related terms like 页眉 (page header).
bound form
eyebrow (bound form, used in compounds like 眉毛, 眉头)top margin or header of a page (in 页眉, 眉批)
Easily confused
- 没méisound-alike(adverb) not; used to negate 有 ('to have') or to negate past/habitual actions
- 枚méisound-alike(classifier) for small, flat, or round objects (coins, rings, badges, medals, pearls, etc.)
- 梅méisound-alikeplum (the fruit or tree)
- 媒méisound-alike(bound form) matchmaker; go-between; intermediary
- 莓méisound-alikeberry; berries (used as a generic term for small, edible berries)
- 霉méisound-alikemold; mildew; fungus
Examples
- 。Tā měi tiān dōu yào huà méi mao.She draws her eyebrows every day.
- ，。Bié zhòu méi tóu, xiào yi xiào.Don't frown, smile a bit.
- 眉。Qǐng zài yè méi chù xiě shàng nǐ de míng zì.Please write your name in the page header.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
- 𠃜𠃜𠃜
- 目目mù
眉 originally showed 𠃜, hair, above 目, an eye.
Appears in
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