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瞵 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瞵línto stare atvg, 17 strokes, radical 目
lín(lin2) T2
  1. 1to stare at
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瞵lín(lin2)

The character 瞵 (lín) means 'to stare at' or 'to gaze intently'. It is often used in contexts where someone is looking at something with a fixed, intense gaze, such as observing an object closely or being mesmerized by something.

Strokes17Radical目
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, the act of staring often symbolizes deep contemplation or obsession, reflecting a character's emotional state or focus on a subject, which is a common theme in classical poetry.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lion (the pronunciation 'lín' sounds like 'lion') staring intently at a prey. The character 瞵 has the eye radical 目, which represents the act of seeing, combined with the sound component 'lin', helping you remember that it relates to staring.

Meanings of 瞵

lín(lin2)
1to stare at
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瞵

瞵Simplified
17Strokes
目Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瞵

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Podcast: 瞵

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 瞵

Quick Contrast

凝视 (níngshì) vs 盯 (dīng) — use 瞵 when emphasizing a fixed, intense gaze, while 凝视 suggests a more contemplative stare, and 盯 implies a more watchful or scrutinizing look.

Usage Notes

This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so it is more likely to be found in literary or poetic contexts. Be mindful of using it in both spoken and written forms, as it may come off as overly dramatic in casual settings.

HSK Study Tips

Since 瞵 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners should focus on related words that involve seeing or looking, such as 看 (kàn) or 视 (shì). Understanding the context of how and when to use 瞵 can enhance your vocabulary around visual perception.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 瞵 with 看 (kàn) and use it incorrectly in casual settings. For example, saying '我瞵书' instead of '我看书' (I am reading a book) is incorrect; the former suggests an intense gaze rather than reading.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瞵

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Etymology of 瞵

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

eye

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瞵

  1. 1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half粦 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 瞵? 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 瞵?

Decomposition of 瞵

IDS Structure⿰目粦
瞵Full Character
=
目mu4
left
粦lin2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瞵?

How to say to stare at in Chinese

“to stare at” in Chinese is瞵lín

The character 瞵 (lín) means 'to stare at' or 'to gaze intently'. It is often used in contexts where someone is looking at something with a fixed, intense gaze, such as observing an object closely or being mesmerized by something.

When to use 瞵

This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so it is more likely to be found in literary or poetic contexts. Be mindful of using it in both spoken and written forms, as it may come off as overly dramatic in casual settings.

瞵 or something close to it

凝视 (níngshì) vs 盯 (dīng) — use 瞵 when emphasizing a fixed, intense gaze, while 凝视 suggests a more contemplative stare, and 盯 implies a more watchful or scrutinizing look.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 瞵 with 看 (kàn) and use it incorrectly in casual settings. For example, saying '我瞵书' instead of '我看书' (I am reading a book) is incorrect; the former suggests an intense gaze rather than reading.

Write 瞵

瞵

Practice writing 瞵 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 瞵

Words Containing This Character1
瞵línto stare at
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 瞵 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瞵

No, it is more likely to be found in literary contexts rather than in daily communication.

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Not sure what to learn after 瞵?

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