How to Write 瞟 (piǎo) — Meaning “to glance sideways; to squint at”

Imagine you are at a train station and quickly glance sideways at a ticket (票) to check the platform number. The eye (目) on the left reminds you it is a looking action. So 瞟 = eye + ticket, a quick sidelong look.

The left part 目 must be written narrow and tall, with four horizontal strokes. The right part 票 starts with a 覀 shape (like a twisted 西) on top, then has 示 below — do not make the top too wide. A common mistake is making the 目 too wide or forgetting the short horizontal stroke inside it.

睽 (kuí) means to stare wide-eyed in surprise or separation, while 瞟 is a quick, sideways glance. 睾 (gāo) is a rare character meaning testicle and has nothing to do with eye actions. Visually, 瞟 uses 票 on the right, 睽 uses 癸, and 睾 uses a different top part completely.

瞟 is used for a quick, furtive glance, often without turning the head. For example, 瞟一眼 means to cast a sidelong look, and 偷瞟 means to steal a glance. It appears in novels and everyday speech to describe shy, curious, or secret looks.

Common words containing 瞟 include: 瞟一眼 (piǎo yī yǎn) — to cast a sidelong glance; 瞟见 (piǎo jiàn) — to catch a glimpse of (sideways); 偷瞟 (tōu piǎo) — To steal a glance.