眯

mī
HSK 6
#2,949 most
frequent character
to narrow one's eyes, (Dialect) to nap
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

眯 has 目 eye as its meaning part and 米 mǐ as its sound part. It first meant getting something in the eye so sight is blocked. Read mī, it also grew to squint and take a nap.

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Example Sentences

他在阳光下眯着眼睛。
tāzài yángguāng xià mīzháoyǎnjīng 。
He is narrowing his eyes in the sunlight.
我午餐后喜欢眯一会儿。
wǒ wǔcān hòu xǐhuān mī yī huì ér 。
I like to take a nap for a while after lunch.
在会议上，她一直眯着眼听。
zài huìyì shàng ， tā yīzhí mī zháoyǎn tīng 。
During the meeting, she kept narrowing her eyes to listen.

Same Characters, Different Readings

眯mí
to blind (as with dust)

Words with similar meanings

闭眼bìyǎn
to close one's eyes
This phrase emphasizes shutting the eyes rather than just narrowing them, often implying rest or sleep.
打瞌睡dǎkēshuì
to doze off
This term refers specifically to napping or falling asleep briefly, focusing more on the act of sleeping than narrowing the eyes.

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Public Lists with 眯

Feelings & Emotions
Vocabulary for happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love, excitement, etc.
Daily Routines
Verbs and nouns related to waking up, chores, personal care, and daily life.
HSK 6
All words for the HSK 6 test