眈 meaning and stroke order
To stare at, to gaze intently; to delay, to hinder
How to write 眈, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 眈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 眈眈[dan1 dan1]
How 眈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eye.
目 gives the meaning and 冘 hints at the sound.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 眈
眈 has the eye 目 on the left, so it is about looking. The right part 冘 gives the sound, so picture an eye locked on something, staring hard.
眈 almost never appears alone. You will meet it in the reduplicated form 眈眈 (dāndān), mostly inside the idiom 虎视眈眈 (hǔshìdāndān), which describes someone eyeing a target greedily or with hostile intent. Example: 对手在一旁虎视眈眈。(Duìshǒu zài yīpáng hǔshìdāndān.) The rival is watching greedily from the side.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 眈 with 耽 (dān, to delay, as in 耽误 dānwu). They sound the same, but 耽 has the ear 耳 on the left and means delay, while 眈 has the eye 目 and means to stare. So 虎视眈眈 should always be written with 目.
Common words with 眈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 虎视眈眈 | hǔshìdāndān | (lit.) to fix one's eyes on sth like a tiger watching its prey (idiom); (fig.) to eye cove |
Questions about 眈
How many strokes are in 眈?
眈 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 眈 mean?
眈 (dān) means to stare at, to gaze intently; to delay, to hinder. A common word with it is 虎视眈眈 (hǔshìdāndān), meaning "(lit.) to fix one's eyes on sth like a tiger watching its prey (idiom); (fig.) to eye cove".
How do you pronounce 眈?
眈 is pronounced dān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 眈?
The radical of 眈 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 眈 under this radical.
Is 虎视眈眈 positive or negative?
It is usually negative. It suggests someone is waiting for a chance to grab or attack something, like a tiger watching its prey. It is common in news about competitors or rival countries.
Can I use 眈 by itself to say I am staring at something?
Not in modern Chinese. For everyday staring, use 盯 (dīng) or 盯着看 (dīngzhe kàn). Keep 眈 for the fixed form 眈眈 in idioms.