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March 24, 2026
睁(睜)zhēng(zheng1)
The verb 睁 (zhēng) means 'to open (one's eyes)' and is commonly used to describe the action of awakening or becoming alert. It can also imply staring or looking intently at something, often indicating surprise or concentration. This character is frequently encountered in both everyday conversation and literary contexts.
Strokes11Radical目Frequency#2923DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the act of opening one's eyes can symbolize awakening to reality or gaining awareness, often used metaphorically in literature and discussions about personal growth or enlightenment.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person named 'Zheng' who is trying to wake up but struggles to 'zhēng' their eyes open. The character 睁 looks like a pair of eyes (眼) surrounded by a frame (also hinting at the action of opening). Visualize Zheng finally opening his eyes wide and staring at the bright morning light.
Meanings of 睁
zhēng(zheng1)
1to open (one's eyes)
2to open one's eyes; to stare
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 睁
睁Simplified
睜Traditional
11Strokes
目Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#2923Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 睁
Podcast: 睁
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AI Study Notes for 睁
Quick Contrast
睁 (zhēng) vs 关 (guān) — use 睁 when referring to opening eyes, while 关 means to close or shut.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 睁 with similar verbs like 开 (kāi), which means 'to open' more generally. 睁 is more specifically about opening the eyes or looking intently. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can also appear in narrative forms to convey intensity or surprise.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 5 word, 睁 connects well with other action verbs related to vision and perception, such as 看 (kàn, to see) and 望 (wàng, to gaze). Focus on practicing its use in sentences where you describe actions involving sight to reinforce the concept.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 睁 with the wrong subjects, such as '我睁眼' (wǒ zhēng yǎn) instead of the correct '我睁开眼睛' (wǒ zhēng kāi yǎnjīng) meaning 'I open my eyes.' Additionally, some may confuse it with the more general 开, which is incorrect in contexts specifically related to eyes.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 睁
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How Well Do You Know 睁?
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Learning Lab
Knowing 睁 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.
睁 = 目 + 争. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 睁
IDS Structure⿰目争
睁Full Character
=
目mu4
left
争zheng1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 睁?
How to say to open (one's eyes) in Chinese
“to open (one's eyes)” in Chinese is睁zhēng
The verb 睁 (zhēng) means 'to open (one's eyes)' and is commonly used to describe the action of awakening or becoming alert. It can also imply staring or looking intently at something, often indicating surprise or concentration. This character is frequently encountered in both everyday conversation and literary contexts.
When to use 睁
Be careful not to confuse 睁 with similar verbs like 开 (kāi), which means 'to open' more generally. 睁 is more specifically about opening the eyes or looking intently. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can also appear in narrative forms to convey intensity or surprise.
睁 or something close to it
睁 (zhēng) vs 关 (guān) — use 睁 when referring to opening eyes, while 关 means to close or shut.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 睁 with the wrong subjects, such as '我睁眼' (wǒ zhēng yǎn) instead of the correct '我睁开眼睛' (wǒ zhēng kāi yǎnjīng) meaning 'I open my eyes.' Additionally, some may confuse it with the more general 开, which is incorrect in contexts specifically related to eyes.
Write 睁
睁
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Grammar Patterns of 睁
睁 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 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
我们不能眼____睁地看着你毁掉自己的生活。
We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away.
Common Confusions with 睁
睁vs争
zhēng
Same pronunciation but different meaning.
Exercise 1 of 1
Which one
Which one means “to open (one's eyes)”?
or
Example Sentences for 睁 (10)
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1
我们不能眼睁睁地看着你毁掉自己的生活。
wǒ mén bù néng yǎn zhēng zhēng dì kàn zháo nǐ huǐ diào zì jǐ de shēng huó。
We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away.
My own eyes had felt heavy-lidded, but now I was wide awake.
8
窝里有8只还没长毛、眼睛尚未睁开的小老鼠。
wō lǐ yǒu8 8 zhī huán méi cháng、 máo 、 yǎn jīng shàng wèi zhēng kāi de xiǎo。
The nest contained eight little mice that were naked and blind.
9
她的眼皮随即动了一下，然后睁开了眼睛。
tā de yǎn pí suí jí dòng le yī xià， ， rán hòu zhēng kāi le yǎn。
In a moment her eyelids flickered, then opened.
10
我睁开眼睛看了看。
wǒ zhēng kāi yǎn jīng kàn le kàn。
I opened my eyes and looked.
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Word Family of 睁
Words Containing This Character7
睁zhēngto open (one's eyes)睜
眼睁睁to stare blankly眼睜睜
睁开to open (one's eyes)睜開
睁眼to open one's eyes睜眼
睁眼说瞎话to talk drivel睜眼說瞎話
睁着眼睛说瞎话to talk drivel睜著眼睛說瞎話
睁一眼闭一眼to turn a blind eye睜一眼閉一眼
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 睁
What does 眼睁睁 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 睁
You can say '他睁开眼睛了' (tā zhēng kāi yǎnjīng le) meaning 'He opened his eyes.'
Not necessarily; it can also be used metaphorically to express gaining insight, like '睁开了眼界' (zhēng kāi le yǎnjiè), meaning 'opened one's perspective.'
Common phrases include '睁眼' (zhēng yǎn) meaning 'to open one's eyes' and '睁大眼睛' (zhēng dà yǎnjīng) meaning 'to open one's eyes wide'.
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