How to Write 眨 (zhǎ) — Meaning “to blink; to wink”

Picture an eye (目) that is so tired (乏) it keeps blinking. Imagine a drooping eye with the right side looking like a person slumping from exhaustion.

Write the left radical 目 first (5 strokes), then the right part 乏 (4 strokes). Keep the 目 narrow and the 乏 balanced—common mistakes are making the eye too wide or mixing up the strokes of 乏, which starts with a dot and a left-falling stroke.

盯 (dīng) means 'to stare' and uses 丁 (nail), implying eyes fixed like a nail. 盱 (xū) means 'to gaze upward' with 于. In contrast, 眨 emphasizes rapid closing and opening of the eyes (blinking) and contains the fatigue component 乏.

You often see 眨 in 眨眼 (zhǎ yǎn) meaning 'to blink' or 一眨眼 (yī zhǎ yǎn) meaning 'in the blink of an eye' to describe a very short time. It can also refer to winking, like in playful communication.

Common words containing 眨 include: 眨眼 (zhǎ yǎn) — to blink; in the blink of an eye; 一眨眼 (yī zhǎ yǎn) — in the blink of an eye; in a flash; 眨眨眼 (zhǎ zhǎ yǎn) — to blink; to wink.