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睁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
睁
zhēng
to open (one's eyes)
HSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 目, rank #2923, Hard
睁
zhēng
to open one's eyes; to stare
HSK 6, v, 11 strokes, radical 目, rank #2923, Hard
zhēng(zheng1)zheng T1
1to open (one's eyes)
2to open one's eyes; to stare
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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
Play it, then pick what 睁 means.
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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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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Practice writing 睁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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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。
wǒmen bù néng yǎn zhēng zhēng dì kàn zhe nǐ huǐ diào zìjǐ de shēnghuó。
We can't just sit by and watch you throw your life away.
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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