The character 眼 — “eye”: how to write it and what it means
eye
The Chinese character 眼 is read yǎn and means “eye”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 眼
眼 has 11 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 眼, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 眼 is made of
On the left, 目 “eye”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 眼
- 眼睛eyesHSK 2
- 眼镜glassesHSK 4
- 眼前before one's eyes; nowHSK 4
- 眼泪tearsHSK 5
- 眼看soon, any moment; watch (as)HSK 6
- 眼光gaze; taste, insightHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 眼?
眼 has 11 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 眼 mean?
眼 means “eye”. It appears in 眼睛 (“eyes”), 眼镜 (“glasses”), 眼前 (“before one's eyes”), 眼泪 (“tears”).
How do you pronounce 眼?
眼 is read yǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 眼 have?
11 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 眼 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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