目 mù eye
eye; item; aim; category
How it came to be
An eye, stood on its end to fit a column of writing. That turn is why it looks like a barred box and not an eye.
How it is used
- Literary/bound word for "eye" - spoken Chinese uses 眼睛 (yǎnjing). 目 survives in compounds: 目光 (mùguāng) gaze, 目睹 (mùdǔ) to witness.
- Its busiest job today is "item/category/aim": 目的 (mùdì) purpose, 目标 (mùbiāo) goal/target, 项目 (xiàngmù) project/item, 题目 (tímù) topic.
- 目前 (mùqián) = at present/currently, a common written-ish alternative to 现在 (xiànzài).
Characters built with 目
- 看 look at
- 想 think about
- 真 truly
- 睡 sleep
- 着 ongoing action (verb suffix)
- 眼 eye
- 睛 eyeball
- 相 mutual
- 直 straight
- 算 calculate
- 冒 risk
- 箱 box
- 具 tool
- 值 price
- 省 province
- 植 tree
- 帽 hat
- 填 fill
- 厢 side-room
- 慎 cautious
- 泪 tears
- 眠 sleep
- 置 to lay out
- 俱 all
- 惧 to fear
- 殖 to breed
- 盲 blind
- 盼 to look
- 睁 to open one's eyes
- 督 to supervise
- 瞧 to glance at
- 瞬 to blink
- 镇 calm
- 渺 vast
- 盯 to rivet one's gaze upon
- 盹 to doze
- 眨 to wink
- 眯 to squint
- 眶 eye socket
- 眺 to gaze
Words with 目
- 节目jiémùprogramHSK 3
- 目的mùdìpurposeHSK 4
- 目前mùqiánat the present timeHSK 4
- 目标mùbiāotargetHSK 4
- 目的地mùdìdìdestination (location)HSK 4
- 目光mùguānggazeHSK 5
- 项目xiàngmùitemHSK 5
- 题目tímùsubjectHSK 5
- 心目xīnmùmindHSK 6
- 数目shùmùamountHSK 6
- 目录mùlùcatalogHSK 6
- 科目kēmùacademic subjectHSK 6
- 一目了然yímù-liǎoránobvious at a glance (idiom)HSK 7
- 剧目jùmùtheatrical piece (play or opera)HSK 7
- 引人注目yǐnrén-zhùmùto attract attentionHSK 7
- 目不转睛mùbùzhuǎnjīngunable to take one's eyes off (idiom)HSK 7
- 目中无人mùzhōng-wúrénto consider everyone else beneath oneHSK 7
- 耳目一新ěrmù-yìxīna pleasant changeHSK 7
- 醒目xǐngmùeye-grabbing (headline)HSK 7
- 面目全非miànmù-quánfēinothing remains the same (idiom)HSK 7
- 举世瞩目jǔshì-zhǔmùto receive worldwide attentionHSK 8
- 刮目相看guāmù-xiāngkànto have a whole new level of respect for somebody or somethingHSK 8
- 栏目lánmùregular column or segmentHSK 9
- 目睹mùdǔto witnessHSK 9
- 目瞪口呆mùdèng-kǒudāidumbstruckHSK 9
- 盲目mángmùblindHSK 9
- 触目惊心chùmù-jīngxīnliterally shocks the eye, astonishes the heartHSK 9
Example sentences
- 她正在播节目。 Tā zhèng zài bō jiémù.She is broadcasting a program.
- 我们到达了目的地。 Wǒmen dàodále mùdìdì.We've arrived at our destination.