睬 meaning and stroke order
To notice, to pay attention to
How to write 睬, stroke by stroke
13 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
- 13
Meaning of 睬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to pay attention
- to take notice of
- to care for
- variant of 睬[cai3]
How 睬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eye.
目 gives the meaning and 采 hints at the sound.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 睬
睬 combines 目 (eye) with 采 (cǎi), which gives the sound. Picture turning your eye toward someone to show you notice them.
睬 is almost never used alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in 理睬 (lǐcǎi) and in negative phrases like 不理不睬 (bù lǐ bù cǎi), meaning to ignore someone completely. Example: 他生气了，不理睬我。(Tā shēngqì le, bù lǐcǎi wǒ.) He got angry and ignored me.
Common mistake: Learners often write 彩 (cǎi, color) or 踩 (cǎi, to step on) instead of 睬, since all three share the sound and the 采 part. Remember that 睬 has the eye 目 on the left because it is about looking at or noticing someone.
Common words with 睬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 理睬 | lǐcǎi | to heed; to pay attention to | HSK 7-9 |
睬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 睬
How many strokes are in 睬?
睬 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 睬 mean?
睬 (cǎi) means to notice, to pay attention to. A common word with it is 理睬 (lǐcǎi), meaning "to heed; to pay attention to".
How do you pronounce 睬?
睬 is pronounced cǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 睬?
The radical of 睬 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 睬 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 睬?
The traditional form of 睬 is 倸. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 睬 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 睬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 睬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 理睬 usually used in positive or negative sentences?
It is mostly used in negative sentences, such as 不理睬 or 没人理睬 (méi rén lǐcǎi, nobody pays attention). Saying 他理睬我 on its own sounds unusual.
What is the difference between 理睬 and 注意?
理睬 means to respond to or acknowledge a person, and it is often used when someone is being ignored. 注意 (zhùyì) means to pay attention to something in general, like 注意安全 (be careful).