睇 meaning and stroke order
To glance, to look, to stare
How to write 睇, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 睇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) to cast a sidelong glance
- (dialect) to see; to look at
How 睇 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eye.
目 gives the meaning and 弟 hints at the sound.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 睇
睇 combines the eye 目 (mù) on the left with 弟 (dì) on the right, which gives the sound dì. Picture your little brother 弟 catching your eye with a quick sideways glance.
In standard Mandarin, 睇 is a literary word for casting a sidelong glance and appears mostly in classical or formal writing. In Cantonese it is the everyday word for "to look" or "to see," so you will often meet it in Hong Kong signs, subtitles and chat. Example: 睇戏 (dì xì, Cantonese tai2 hei3) means to watch a movie.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 睇 with 梯 (tī, ladder) or 涕 (tì, tears), which share the 弟 part but have different radicals. Remember that only the eye radical 目 gives the meaning of looking.
Questions about 睇
How many strokes are in 睇?
睇 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 睇 mean?
睇 (dì) means to glance, to look, to stare.
How do you pronounce 睇?
睇 is pronounced dì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 睇?
The radical of 睇 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 睇 under this radical.
Should I use 睇 instead of 看 in Mandarin conversation?
No. In spoken Mandarin, use 看 (kàn) for "to look" or "to watch." 睇 sounds literary in Mandarin and is mainly a Cantonese word in daily speech.
How is 睇 pronounced in Cantonese?
In Cantonese, 睇 is read tai2, which sounds quite different from the Mandarin reading dì. This is why Cantonese speakers write it so often in informal text.