HSK 5

睁

zhēng

to open (one's eyes)

HSK 5 — —

漢字分解

睁

zhēng · to open

部首: 目 · 11画

Stroke order animation for 睁

Usage of 睁 (zhēng)

The verb 睁 specifically means "to open one's eyes." It is often used to describe the physical action of opening eyes after sleeping or when trying to see something clearly.

Common contexts

  • Describing waking up or becoming alert: e.g., 睁开眼睛 (open one's eyes).
  • Emphasizing the act of opening eyes wide to observe details.
  • Sometimes used figuratively to imply awareness or attention.

Collocations

  • 睁开眼睛: to open one's eyes wide, often used literally.
  • 睁大眼睛: to open eyes wide, emphasizing careful observation.

Notes

  • 睁 is different from 看 (kàn, to look) because it focuses on the physical action of opening eyes, not the act of seeing or watching.
  • It is commonly used in spoken and written Chinese at intermediate to advanced levels (HSK 5).
  • Avoid confusing 睁 with 闭 (bì), which means to close (one's eyes).

Understanding 睁 helps learners describe states of alertness and perception more vividly in conversation and writing.

例文

他睁开眼睛，看到了窗外的阳光。

Tā zhēng kāi yǎnjing, kàn dào le chuāngwài de yángguāng.

He opened his eyes and saw the sunlight outside the window.

请你睁大眼睛，好好看看这幅画的细节。

Qǐng nǐ zhēng dà yǎnjing, hǎohǎo kàn kàn zhè fú huà de xìjié.

Please open your eyes wide and carefully look at the details of this

他虽然睁着眼睛，但好像没有真正看见什么。

Tā suīrán zhēng zhe yǎnjing, dàn hǎoxiàng méiyǒu zhēnzhèng kànjiàn shénme.

Although he had his eyes open, it seemed like he didn’t really see anything.