Meanings of 睜
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About 睜
Podcast: 睜
Podcast: 睜
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AI Study Notes for 睜
睁 (zhēng) vs 眨 (zhǎ) — use 睁 when referring to opening the eyes wide, while 眨 refers specifically to the action of blinking.
Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 睜 (zhēng), as mispronunciation can lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. It is typically used in more informal contexts, and common collocations include 睜大眼睛 (zhēng dà yǎnjīng) meaning 'to open one's eyes wide.'
Although 睜 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other characters that involve vision or perception, such as 看 (kàn) meaning 'to see.' Students at this level should focus on recognizing the radicals and understanding the context in which this character is used.
Learners often confuse 睜 with 眨 (zhǎ) which means 'to blink.' For example, saying '我睜我的眼睛' (Wǒ zhēng wǒ de yǎnjīng) is incorrect; instead, use '我睜开我的眼睛' (Wǒ zhēngkāi wǒ de yǎnjīng).
Pronunciation of 睜
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Etymology of 睜
Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 争 represents the sound. Simplified form of 睜.
eye
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 睜
Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 争 represents the sound. Simplified form of 睜.
- 1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half爭 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayeye
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 睜
Identify the Components
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How to say to open one's eyes; to stare in Chinese
“to open one's eyes; to stare” in Chinese is睜
The character 睜 (zhēng) means 'to open one's eyes' or 'to stare.' It is commonly used to describe the action of opening the eyes wide, often in surprise or focus. This character conveys a sense of alertness or attentiveness, making it applicable in both literal and metaphorical contexts.
When to use 睜
Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing 睜 (zhēng), as mispronunciation can lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. It is typically used in more informal contexts, and common collocations include 睜大眼睛 (zhēng dà yǎnjīng) meaning 'to open one's eyes wide.'
睜 or something close to it
睁 (zhēng) vs 眨 (zhǎ) — use 睁 when referring to opening the eyes wide, while 眨 refers specifically to the action of blinking.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 睜 with 眨 (zhǎ) which means 'to blink.' For example, saying '我睜我的眼睛' (Wǒ zhēng wǒ de yǎnjīng) is incorrect; instead, use '我睜开我的眼睛' (Wǒ zhēngkāi wǒ de yǎnjīng).
Write 睜
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Practice writing 睜 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 睜
Compound Meaning
What does 睁 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 睜
You can say '他睜大眼睛看着我' (Tā zhēng dà yǎnjīng kànzhe wǒ), meaning 'He stared at me with wide-open eyes.'
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