How to Write 眶 (kuàng) — Meaning “eye socket”

Imagine your eye (目) sitting inside a square picture frame (匡). The frame is the bony socket that holds your eye in place, just like a picture frame holds a photo. This visual helps you remember both the shape and the meaning of 眶 as "eye socket."

The left component 目 (5 strokes) and the right component 匡 (6 strokes) should have similar height, with the top and bottom aligning. A common mistake is making 匡 too narrow or writing the last vertical stroke of 匡 too short—make sure the box of 匡 is clearly enclosed. The total stroke count is 11, and the radical 目 is written first.

All three share the radical 目, but their right parts differ: 眶 uses 匡 (frame), meaning eye socket; 相 uses 木 (tree) and means "mutual" or "to look at"; 盹 uses 屯 (zhūn) and means "doze" (like 打盹). Visually, 眶 has a box-like right side, while 相 has a tree shape and 盹 has a curving top. Their pronunciations and uses are completely different.

The character 眶 appears most often in the word 眼眶 (yǎn kuàng, eye socket) and in the literary expression 热泪盈眶 (rè lèi yíng kuàng), meaning "eyes brimming with tears of emotion." It is not part of everyday conversation, but you may encounter it in medical descriptions or emotional, descriptive writing.

Common words containing 眶 include: 眼眶 (yǎn kuàng) — eye socket; 热泪盈眶 (rè lèi yíng kuàng) — Eyes filled with tears of emotion; 眶内 (kuàng nèi) — inside the eye socket.