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瞇 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瞇mīto squint, to narrow the eyeszg, 14 strokes, radical 目
mī(mi1) T1
  1. 1to squint, to narrow the eyes
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March 24, 2026

瞇mī(mi1)

The character 瞇 (mī) means to squint or to narrow one's eyes, often in response to bright light or to see something more clearly. It is commonly used to describe the action of reducing the opening of the eyes, which can imply suspicion or focus. This term can convey various emotions depending on the context, such as annoyance or concentration.

Strokes14Radical目
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, squinting can also symbolize suspicion or scrutiny, often seen in situations where one is trying to gauge the truth of a matter. This reflects a cultural nuance where visual perception is tied to understanding intentions.

Memory Tip

Think of the character 瞇 as a pair of eyes (the two horizontal lines) squinting against bright sunlight. The top part, 目 (eye), symbolizes the action of seeing, while the squinting action is suggested by the narrowing shape of the character. Imagine a person trying to look at something in the sun, squinting to see better.

Meanings of 瞇

mī(mi1)
1to squint, to narrow the eyes
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瞇

瞇Simplified
14Strokes
目Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瞇

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Podcast: 瞇

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AI Study Notes for 瞇

Quick Contrast

眯 (mī) vs 瞧 (qiáo) — use 瞇 when describing the action of squinting specifically, while 瞧 implies looking or glancing at something.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is to confuse 瞇 with other eye-related characters such as 目 (eye) or 着 (to look). This term is more informal and is best used in conversational contexts. Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing, as getting it wrong can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 瞇 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it relates to other HSK Level 1 and 2 words involving vision, such as 看 (to see) and 眼睛 (eye). Students should focus on practicing its usage in sentences related to sight and perception.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse this character with 眯 (mī), which has a similar meaning but can imply a more relaxed squint. For example, saying '我在阳光下眯着眼睛' might be understood, but 瞇 is more appropriate for intentional squinting.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瞇

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Etymology of 瞇

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

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 米 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瞇.

Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)迷
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瞇

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 米 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瞇.

  1. 1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half迷 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayeye
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 瞇? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 瞇?

Decomposition of 瞇

IDS Structure⿰目迷
瞇Full Character
=
目mu4
left
迷mi2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瞇?

How to say to squint, to narrow the eyes in Chinese

“to squint, to narrow the eyes” in Chinese is瞇mī

The character 瞇 (mī) means to squint or to narrow one's eyes, often in response to bright light or to see something more clearly. It is commonly used to describe the action of reducing the opening of the eyes, which can imply suspicion or focus. This term can convey various emotions depending on the context, such as annoyance or concentration.

When to use 瞇

A common mistake is to confuse 瞇 with other eye-related characters such as 目 (eye) or 着 (to look). This term is more informal and is best used in conversational contexts. Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing, as getting it wrong can lead to misunderstandings.

瞇 or something close to it

眯 (mī) vs 瞧 (qiáo) — use 瞇 when describing the action of squinting specifically, while 瞧 implies looking or glancing at something.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse this character with 眯 (mī), which has a similar meaning but can imply a more relaxed squint. For example, saying '我在阳光下眯着眼睛' might be understood, but 瞇 is more appropriate for intentional squinting.

Write 瞇

瞇

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 瞇

Words Containing This Character3
眯mīto squint瞇
笑眯眯beaming
眯缝to squint眯縫
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 眯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瞇

You can say '我在阳光下瞇着眼睛' (I am squinting my eyes in the sunlight).

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