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瞟 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瞟piǎoto squint, to glare, to look askancev, 16 strokes, radical 目, rank #23792, Very Hard
瞟piǎoto cast a glanceunknown, 16 strokes, radical 目, rank #23792, Very Hard
piǎo(piao3)piao T3
  1. 1to squint, to glare, to look askance
  2. 2to cast a glance
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March 24, 2026

瞟piǎo(piao3)

The character 瞟 (piǎo) refers to the action of squinting or casting a quick glance, often filled with suspicion or annoyance. It can be used when someone looks askance at another person, indicating disapproval or skepticism. This word is commonly employed in informal contexts, particularly in conversations about interpersonal interactions.

Strokes16Radical目Frequency#23792DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, non-verbal communication, including the way people squint or glance at one another, can convey strong messages about trust and suspicion. The act of squinting can often indicate skepticism or disapproval in social interactions.

Memory tip

Imagine a person squinting their eyes to catch sight of something unclear. The character 瞟 resembles two eyes (the top part) peering suspiciously. Think of 'pi' (from piǎo) as the sound of eyes narrowing in focus, as if saying 'peek' with a squint.

Meanings of 瞟

piǎo(piao3)
1to squint, to glare, to look askance
2to cast a glance
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 瞟 means.

About 瞟

瞟Simplified
16Strokes
目Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瞟

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Podcast: 瞟

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AI study notes for 瞟

Quick Contrast

瞄 (miáo) - use 瞟 when implying suspicion or annoyance, while 瞄 simply means to aim or take aim.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 瞟 with other similar-sounding verbs like 盯 (dīng), which means to stare intently. 瞟 is more informal and can carry a negative connotation, so it’s best used in casual conversations. Common collocations include 瞟一眼 (cast a glance) and 瞟视 (look askance).

HSK Study Tips

While 瞟 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other HSK words related to vision or perception, like 看 (kàn - to see) and 视 (shì - to view). Focusing on how to use this verb in conjunction with other visual verbs can enhance understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 瞟 in formal contexts where a more neutral verb like 看 would be appropriate. For example, saying '我对他瞟了一个眼' (I squinted at him) in a formal meeting may sound odd; instead, use '我看了他一眼' (I glanced at him).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瞟

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Etymology of 瞟

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

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 票 represents the sound.

Memory hint

eye

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

Origin

瞟 = 目 + 票. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 瞟

IDS Structure⿰目票
瞟Full character
=
目mu4
left
票piao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 瞟?

How to say to squint, to glare, to look askance in Chinese

“to squint, to glare, to look askance” in Chinese is瞟piǎo

The character 瞟 (piǎo) refers to the action of squinting or casting a quick glance, often filled with suspicion or annoyance. It can be used when someone looks askance at another person, indicating disapproval or skepticism. This word is commonly employed in informal contexts, particularly in conversations about interpersonal interactions.

When to use 瞟

Be cautious not to confuse 瞟 with other similar-sounding verbs like 盯 (dīng), which means to stare intently. 瞟 is more informal and can carry a negative connotation, so it’s best used in casual conversations. Common collocations include 瞟一眼 (cast a glance) and 瞟视 (look askance).

瞟 or something close to it

瞄 (miáo) - use 瞟 when implying suspicion or annoyance, while 瞄 simply means to aim or take aim.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 瞟 in formal contexts where a more neutral verb like 看 would be appropriate. For example, saying '我对他瞟了一个眼' (I squinted at him) in a formal meeting may sound odd; instead, use '我看了他一眼' (I glanced at him).

Write 瞟

瞟

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

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Grammar patterns of 瞟

瞟 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill the gap

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

她抬眼____了瞟,以确定我不出所料地被打动了。

She flicked her eyes up to make certain I was suitably impressed.

Example sentences for 瞟 (1)

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1
她抬眼瞟了瞟,以确定我不出所料地被打动了。

tā tái yǎn piǎo le piǎo, yǐ quèdìng wǒ bù chū suǒ liào dì bèi dǎdòng le。

She flicked her eyes up to make certain I was suitably impressed.

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Word Family of 瞟

Words containing this character1
瞟piǎoto cast a glance

Frequently asked questions about 瞟

Use 瞟 when you want to emphasize a quick, suspicious, or critical glance rather than a straightforward action of looking.

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