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瞥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
瞥
piē
to take a fleeting glance at
v, 16 strokes, radical 目, rank #14216, Very Hard
瞥
piē
to shoot a glance
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)pie 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
By ear
Play it, then pick what 瞥 means.
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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Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 瞥 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
瞥 = 目 + 敝. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 瞥
IDS Structure⿱敝目
瞥Full character
=
敝bi4
top
目mu4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
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 zhuǎi guò shēn， piē jiàn yǒu gè dōngxi cóng cǎodì shàng chuān le guòqù。
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 shāngdiàn chúchuāng lǐ piē jiàn le yīyǎn nàge 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。
bà kè cōngcōng dì piē le yīyǎn càidān， ránhòu pā dì gě shàng le。
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 xùnsù piē le tā yíxià， ránhòu yǎnjing yòu chuí le xiàqù。
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 niǔtóu piē le yīyǎn， kànjiàn wǒ zhèng kàn tā。
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 fēnzhōng,” kè lǐ Sī piē le yīyǎn tā de shǒubiǎo shuōdào.
"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 jǐnshèn dì piē le yīyǎn fángjiān lǐ de qítā 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 yīyǎn zìjǐ de shǒubiǎo，“ tiān nǎ， kuài yīdiǎn le。”
Outside, Bruce glanced at his watch: "Dear me, nearly oneo'clock."
