unknown, 16 strokes, radical 目, rank #14216, Very Hard
瞥
piē
glance
unknown, 16 strokes, radical 目, rank #14216, Very Hard
瞥
piē
to appear in a flash
unknown, 16 strokes, radical 目, rank #14216, Very Hard
piē(pie1) T1
1to take a fleeting glance at
2to shoot a glance
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March 24, 2026
瞥piē(pie1)
The character 瞥 (piē) means to take a quick or fleeting glance at something. It is often used to describe a momentary observation that is not thorough or deliberate, commonly used in both spoken and written contexts when referring to seeing something briefly.
Strokes16Radical目Frequency#14216DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the act of taking a quick glance at something can signify curiosity or intrigue, often reflecting the fast-paced lifestyle in urban areas where people are constantly on the move.
Memory Tip
Imagine a cat (the radical 目 for 'eye') that suddenly catches sight of a bird and takes a quick glance before it flies away. The word 'piē' sounds like 'peer,' which reminds you of peering quickly at something before it disappears.
Meanings of 瞥
piē(pie1)
1to take a fleeting glance at
2to shoot a glance
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 瞥
瞥Simplified
16Strokes
目Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 瞥
Podcast: 瞥
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AI Study Notes for 瞥
Quick Contrast
瞧 (qiáo) vs 看 (kàn) — use 瞥 for a brief, casual glance rather than a more attentive look.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 瞥 with other similar verbs that imply different types of looking, such as 看 (kàn, to watch) or 望 (wàng, to gaze). 瞥 is more informal and is best used in casual conversation. Be careful with its tone; it is pronounced with a first tone, which can be misleading if not practiced.
HSK Study Tips
While 瞥 is not currently part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be associated with HSK Level 3 words that deal with seeing and observing, such as 看 (kàn) and 视 (shì). Focus on understanding the context in which 瞥 is used to differentiate it from these more common terms.
Common Mistakes
Learners may confuse 瞥 with 视 (shì) which means to look or to see in a broader sense, potentially using it incorrectly in sentences like '我瞥电视' (I glance at the TV) instead of '我看电视' (I watch TV). Corrections involve using 瞥 for brief looks only.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 瞥
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Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 敝 represents the sound.
1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
2The sound half敝 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.
Want the full history of 瞥? 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 瞥?
Decomposition of 瞥
IDS Structure⿱敝目
瞥Full Character
=
敝bi4
top
目mu4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 瞥?
How to say to take a fleeting glance at in Chinese
“to take a fleeting glance at” in Chinese is瞥piē
The character 瞥 (piē) means to take a quick or fleeting glance at something. It is often used to describe a momentary observation that is not thorough or deliberate, commonly used in both spoken and written contexts when referring to seeing something briefly.
When to use 瞥
Learners often confuse 瞥 with other similar verbs that imply different types of looking, such as 看 (kàn, to watch) or 望 (wàng, to gaze). 瞥 is more informal and is best used in casual conversation. Be careful with its tone; it is pronounced with a first tone, which can be misleading if not practiced.
瞥 or something close to it
瞧 (qiáo) vs 看 (kàn) — use 瞥 for a brief, casual glance rather than a more attentive look.
What learners get wrong
Learners may confuse 瞥 with 视 (shì) which means to look or to see in a broader sense, potentially using it incorrectly in sentences like '我瞥电视' (I glance at the TV) instead of '我看电视' (I watch TV). Corrections involve using 瞥 for brief looks only.
Write 瞥
瞥
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Practice writing 瞥 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 瞥
瞥 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 4 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 4
Complete the Sentence
她转过身，____见有个东西从草地上穿了过去。
As she turned back, a movement across the lawn caught her eye.
Example Sentences for 瞥 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
她转过身，瞥见有个东西从草地上穿了过去。
tā zhuǎn guò shēn， ， piē jiàn yǒu gè dōng xī cóng cǎo dì shàng chuān le guò。
As she turned back, a movement across the lawn caught her eye.
2
他在商店橱窗里瞥见了一眼那个人的脸。
tā zài shāng diàn chú chuāng lǐ piē jiàn le yī yǎn nà gè rén de liǎn。
He caught a glimpse of the man's face in a shop window.
3
伯克匆匆地瞥了一眼菜单，然后啪地合上了。
bó kè cōng cōng dì piē le yī yǎn cài dān， ， rán hòu pā dì hé shàng。
Burke cast a cursory glance at the menu, then flapped it shut.
4
她抬眼迅速瞥了他一下，然后眼睛又垂了下去。
tā tái yǎn xùn sù piē le tā yī xià， ， rán hòu yǎn jīng yòu chuí le xià。
She gave him a quick, upward look, then lowered her eyes.
5
他扭头瞥了一眼，看见我正看他。
tā niǔ tóu piē le yī yǎn， ， kàn jiàn wǒ zhèng kàn。
He glanced over his shoulder and saw me watching him.
6
“14分钟,”克里斯瞥了一眼他的手表说道.
“14 “14 fēn,” zhōng ,” kè lǐ sī piē le yī yǎn tā de shǒu biǎo.
"Fourteen minutes," Chris said, taking a peep at his watch.
7
他谨慎地瞥了一眼房间里的其他人。
tā jǐn shèn dì piē le yī yǎn fáng jiān lǐ de qí tā rén。
He glanced discreetly around the room at the other people.
8
出了门，布鲁斯瞥了一眼自己的手表，“天哪，快一点了。”
chū le mén， ， bù lǔ sī piē le yī yǎn zì jǐ de shǒu，“ biǎo ，“， tiān nǎ ， kuài。”
Outside, Bruce glanced at his watch: "Dear me, nearly oneo'clock."
