How to Write 目 (mù) — Meaning “eye; item; list”

Imagine a rectangular television screen with two horizontal lines across the middle, like eyes looking at a show. This helps you recall that 目 means 'eye' and also appears in the word 节目 (jié mù, program).

Write the left vertical stroke first, then the top, middle, and bottom horizontals, and finish with the right vertical stroke. Common mistakes include making the character too tall or narrow—keep it nearly square—and spacing the inner horizontals unevenly.

目 is a standalone character meaning 'eye,' while 盯 adds the component 丁 on the right to form a verb meaning 'to stare.' Visually, 目 is wider with two inner horizontal lines, whereas 盯 is longer and includes an extra part on the right side.

目 appears in common words like 目标 (mù biāo, goal), 目前 (mù qián, currently), and 节目 (jié mù, program or show). Culturally, it is a key radical for eye-related characters and appears in idioms such as 目不转睛 (mù bù zhuǎn jīng, to gaze intently without blinking).

Common words containing 目 include: 目标 (mù biāo) — goal; target; objective; 目前 (mù qián) — at present; currently; 节目 (jié mù) — Program / Show.