How to Write 睫 (jié) — Meaning “Eyelash.”

Imagine a person with very long eyelashes that reach down to touch their 疌 (a shape that looks like a little comb or brush). The 目 (eye) is right above, and the eyelashes are like tiny brushes grooming the eye. This visual of "eye + brush" helps you recall 睫 means eyelash.

Pay attention to the left side 目: it must be drawn narrow and slightly taller than the right component. A common mistake is making 目 too wide or forgetting the small horizontal stroke inside. On the right side, 疌 has a short horizontal stroke at the top and a slanted line; keep the strokes balanced so the character doesn't lean.

睫 means eyelash, while 眦 (zì) refers to the corner of the eye (canthus) and 眭 (suī or guì) describes a gaze or stare. Visually, 睫 has the extra component 疌 on the right, whereas 眦 uses 此 and 眭 uses 圭. Their meanings are unrelated, so context easily tells them apart.

睫 appears most often in the common word 睫毛 (eyelash) and in idioms like 迫在眉睫 (literally "pressing on the eyebrows and eyelashes," meaning imminent). The idiom 目不交睫 describes staying awake all night without closing one's eyes. These expressions show that eyelashes symbolize closeness or urgency in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 睫 include: 睫毛 (jié máo) — Eyelash.; 迫在眉睫 (pò zài méi jié) — Imminent; extremely urgent; 目不交睫 (mù bù jiāo jié) — not to close one's eyes; to stay awake all night.