眉 meaning and stroke order
Eyebrows; upper margin of book
How to write 眉, 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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- 9
Meaning of 眉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- eyebrow
- upper margin
How 眉 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Picture of hair 尸 above an eye 目.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 眉
The top part 尸 stands for hair, and it sits right above an eye 目. Hair above the eye is your eyebrow, 眉 (méi).
On its own 眉 is mostly used in writing and idioms. In everyday speech people say 眉毛 (méimao) for eyebrows. Example: 她的眉毛很浓。(Tā de méimao hěn nóng.) Her eyebrows are thick.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 眉 (méi) with 眼 (yǎn, eye) or 睛 (jīng) because they all have 目, but in 眉 the 目 sits under the 尸 shape, not on the left side. Also note that 毛 in 眉毛 is usually said in the neutral tone, méimao, not méimáo.
Common words with 眉
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 眉毛 | méimao | eyebrow | HSK 7-9 |
| 愁眉苦脸 | chóuméi-kǔliǎn | to look anxious (idiom); to look miserable | HSK 7-9 |
| 眉开眼笑 | méikāi-yǎnxiào | brows raised in delight, eyes laughing (idiom); beaming with joy; all smiles | HSK 7-9 |
| 美眉 | měiméi | (coll.) pretty girl | |
| 迫在眉睫 | pòzàiméijié | pressing in on one's eyelashes (idiom); imminent |
眉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 眉
Learning 眉 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 眉
How many strokes are in 眉?
眉 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 眉 mean?
眉 (méi) means eyebrows; upper margin of book. A common word with it is 眉毛 (méimao), meaning "eyebrow".
How do you pronounce 眉?
眉 is pronounced méi, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 眉?
The radical of 眉 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 眉 under this radical.
Is 眉 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 眉 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 美眉 (měiméi) mean and is it polite?
美眉 is casual internet and spoken slang for a pretty girl. It sounds like 妹妹 (mèimei) and is playful, so avoid it in formal settings.
How do I use 迫在眉睫 (pòzàiméijié) in a sentence?
It describes something extremely urgent, as close as your eyelashes. For example: 考试迫在眉睫。(Kǎoshì pòzàiméijié.) The exam is right around the corner.