Chinese Word
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noun HSK 4
jīng
eyeball · pupil of the eye

Meaning

睛 refers to the eyeball or the pupil of the eye. In modern Chinese, it is rarely used alone and almost always appears in compound words. The most common word containing this character is 眼睛 (yǎnjing), meaning 'eye'.

Usage

This character is virtually never used in isolation in modern spoken or written Chinese. It functions as a component in fixed compounds, most notably 眼睛 (eyes). Native speakers recognize it as relating to the eye, but would not use 睛 by itself in everyday conversation.

Examples

  1. 01
    她的眼睛又大又明亮。
    Tā de yǎnjing yòu dà yòu míngliàng.
    Her eyes are big and bright.
  2. 02
    这幅画真是画龙点睛之作。
    Zhè fú huà zhēn shì huà lóng diǎn jīng zhī zuò.
    This painting is truly a masterpiece with the perfect finishing touch.

Common collocations

  • 眼睛
    yǎnjing
    eye
  • 火眼金睛
    huǒ yǎn jīn jīng
    sharp eyes, penetrating vision (idiom)
  • 画龙点睛
    huà lóng diǎn jīng
    to add the finishing touch (idiom)

Origin

The character combines the radical 目 (eye) with 青 (qīng, green/blue), which serves as the phonetic component. The association with 青 may relate to the bright, clear appearance of a healthy eye.

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