眼 (yǎn) — eye; small hole; eye (of a needle); (classifier) for hollow objects such as wells, stoves, pots; also for a glance
Definition
眼 (yǎn) is the bound or literary form of 'eye' — use it in compounds (针眼 'eye of a needle') or as a classifier for hollow things (一眼井 'a well'); for the everyday word meaning 'eye' (the body part), learners should use 眼睛.
noun
eyesmall holeeye (of a needle)
classifier
for hollow objects such as wellsstovespotsalso for a glance
Measure word · 只, 双
Examples
- 眼。Tā yǒu yì shuāng dà yǎn.She has a pair of big eyes.
- 。Yuàn zi lǐ yǒu yì yǎn jǐng.There is a well in the yard.
- 。Wǒ yì yǎn jiù fā xiàn yǒu wèn tí.At a glance I found that there was a problem.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.
Appears in
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