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睐 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
睐làito squint at; a sidelong glanceg, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #45077, Very Hard
睐làito glanceunknown, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #45077, Very Hard
睐làito look askance atunknown, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #45077, Very Hard
lài(lai4)lai T4
  1. 1to squint at; a sidelong glance
  2. 2to glance
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March 24, 2026

睐(睞)lài(lai4)

The character 睐 (lài) refers to the act of squinting or glancing sideways. It is commonly used to describe a specific kind of look that conveys suspicion, skepticism, or furtiveness. This term can appear in both literary and conversational contexts, often implying a lack of trust or a careful observation of someone or something.

Strokes12Radical目Frequency#45077DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, body language and non-verbal cues are significant when assessing trustworthiness or intentions. The concept of squinting or looking askance can be linked to the importance of reading between the lines in social interactions.

Memory tip

Imagine a cat (the radical '目' for 'eye') squinting at a suspicious mouse (the '来' component, which sounds like 'lái'). Visualize the cat narrowing its eyes to focus on the mouse, embodying the idea of looking askance or scrutinizing something closely.

Meanings of 睐

lài(lai4)
1to squint at; a sidelong glance
2to glance
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 睐

睐Simplified
睞Traditional
12Strokes
目Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 睐

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AI study notes for 睐

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 睐 (lài) with similar words like 看 (kàn) or 望 (wàng), which are more general terms for looking or seeing. This term is more informal and is typically used in contexts where suspicion or critical observation is implied. Remember to pronounce it with a falling tone to convey the correct meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 睐 is not an HSK word, it relates to the theme of vision and observation found in HSK Level 2 vocabulary like 看 (kàn) and 见 (jiàn). Focus on the nuances of different looking verbs to understand when to use 睐 appropriately.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 睐 with similar looking verbs, misusing it in contexts where a neutral term like 看 (kàn) would be more appropriate. For example, saying '我睐他' (Wǒ lài tā) to mean 'I see him' would be incorrect; it should be '我看他' (Wǒ kàn tā).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 睐

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Etymology of 睐

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 来 represents the sound. Simplified form of 睞.

Memory hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)来
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

睐 = 目 + 来. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 睐

IDS Structure⿰目来
睐Full character
=
目mu4
left
来lai2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 睐?

How to say to squint at; a sidelong glance in Chinese

“to squint at; a sidelong glance” in Chinese is睐lài

The character 睐 (lài) refers to the act of squinting or glancing sideways. It is commonly used to describe a specific kind of look that conveys suspicion, skepticism, or furtiveness. This term can appear in both literary and conversational contexts, often implying a lack of trust or a careful observation of someone or something.

When to use 睐

Learners often confuse 睐 (lài) with similar words like 看 (kàn) or 望 (wàng), which are more general terms for looking or seeing. This term is more informal and is typically used in contexts where suspicion or critical observation is implied. Remember to pronounce it with a falling tone to convey the correct meaning.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 睐 with similar looking verbs, misusing it in contexts where a neutral term like 看 (kàn) would be more appropriate. For example, saying '我睐他' (Wǒ lài tā) to mean 'I see him' would be incorrect; it should be '我看他' (Wǒ kàn tā).

Write 睐

睐

Practice writing 睐 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 睐

睐 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

受艺术家青____的深紫色花

the deep purple flowers so beloved by artists

Example sentences for 睐 (1)

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1
受艺术家青睐的深紫色花

shòu yìshù jiā qīnglài de shēn zǐ sè huā

the deep purple flowers so beloved by artists

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Word Family of 睐

Words containing this character2
青睐favor青睞
睐làito glance睞
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 睐

What does 青睐 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 睐

No, 睐 is more often found in literary contexts or descriptive narratives rather than in everyday speech.

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