How to Write 眷 (juàn) — Meaning “to care for or look back”

Picture a person (the top part looks like a person turning their head) with a large eye (目) below, looking back at their family with affection. This image of 'turning your eye back' helps you remember that 眷 means to care for or look back.

The top part 䏍 has 6 strokes: start with a dot, then a left-falling stroke, then a right-falling stroke, followed by two more strokes (a left-falling and a right-falling) in a compact shape. A common mistake is to write the top too wide or to misplace the strokes; keep it narrow above the bottom 目 (5 strokes).

Visually, 眷 has a complex top (䏍) above 目, while 相 has 木 on the left and 目 on the right, and 盹 has 目 on the left and 屯 on the right. In meaning, 眷 is about emotional attachment (e.g., 眷恋), 相 is about mutual or appearance (e.g., 互相), and 盹 means to doze off (e.g., 打盹).

眷 appears in formal or literary words like 眷恋 (deep attachment to a place or person), 家眷 (family dependents), and 眷顾 (to show concern). It is not common in daily conversation but is often seen in written Chinese, news, or classical expressions, carrying a nostalgic or affectionate tone.

Common words containing 眷 include: 眷恋 (juàn liàn) — to be deeply attached to; 家眷 (jiā juàn) — Family members / Dependents; 眷顾 (juàn gù) — to care for or show concern.