How to Write 眍 (kōu) — Meaning “sunken (eyes)”

Imagine an eye (目) sitting inside a box (区) — the box is like a deep eye socket, making the eye look sunken. Or think of the right part 区 as a cave that pulls the eye inward. This visual helps you remember that 眍 means sunken eyes.

Write the left radical 目 first with 5 strokes: vertical line, horizontal fold, then three horizontal lines. Then write the right part 区 with 4 strokes: horizontal, left-falling, dot, and vertical fold. A common mistake is making the eye radical too wide — keep it narrow, and ensure the bottom of 区 aligns with the bottom of 目 to keep the character balanced.

盯 (dīng) means "to stare" and has the right component 丁 (nail), while 盱 (xū) means "to open eyes wide" and has 于 (yú). 眍 (kōu) specifically describes sunken or hollow eyes, and its right part is 区. The meanings and visual shapes are different, so focus on the right-side component to tell them apart.

眍 is not a common character and is not part of the HSK vocabulary. It appears in some Northern Chinese dialects and in medical descriptions for sunken eyes due to illness, fatigue, or aging. You may also see it in literary descriptions of a person's tired or unhealthy appearance.

Common words containing 眍 include: 眍搂 (kōu lǒu) — sunken (eyes); 眍眼 (kōu yǎn) — sunken eyes; 眍进去 (kōu jìn qù) — to sink in (referring to eyes).