眼睛
yǎnjīng · HSK 2
eye
👁️ 眼 (eye) + 睛 (eyeball) — both characters mean eye, doubled for emphasis
眼 is the general word for eye; 睛 specifically means eyeball or pupil. Together 眼睛 is the standard two-syllable word for eye. The 目 radical (eye) appears in both characters.
眼 — eye radical 目 + 艮 (phonetic)
眼 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 目 means 'eye' and gives the meaning, while 艮 on the right supplies the sound. Originally referring to the eyeball, it broadened over time to mean 'eye' generally and, by extension, 'a hole' or 'key point'.
yǎn jing · HSK 2
eyes
👀 眼睛 = 眼 (eye) + 睛 (eyeball); both share the 目 'eye' radical
眼 pairs 目 (eye) with 艮 for sound; 睛 pairs 目 with 青 (blue/clear) for sound. The compound doubles down on 'eye' to mean the whole organ — eyes.
眼 — eye radical 目 + 艮 (phonetic)
眼 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 目 means 'eye' and gives the meaning, while 艮 on the right supplies the sound. Originally referring to the eyeball, it broadened over time to mean 'eye' generally and, by extension, 'a hole' or 'key point'.