瞥 meaning and stroke order
To take a fleeting glance at
How to write 瞥, stroke by stroke
16 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
- 14
- 15
- 16
Meaning of 瞥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to shoot a glance
- glance
- to appear in a flash
How 瞥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eye.
目 gives the meaning and 敝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 瞥
瞥 (piē) puts 敝 (bì) on top of the eye 目 (mù). The eye at the bottom tells you the meaning is about looking, and 敝 gives a hint of the sound, so picture an eye that only flicks up for a quick look.
瞥 means a quick, brief look, often one you did not plan. It usually appears in compounds like 瞥见 (piējiàn) or in the pattern 瞥了一眼 (piē le yī yǎn). Example: 他瞥了我一眼。(Tā piē le wǒ yī yǎn.) He shot me a quick glance.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 瞥 with 撇 (piě), which shares the top part 敝 but has the hand radical and means a left-falling stroke or to toss aside. Remember that 瞥 has the eye 目 underneath and takes first tone, piē.
Common words with 瞥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一瞥 | yīpiē | glance; glimpse | |
| 瞥见 | piējiàn | to glimpse |
瞥 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 瞥
How many strokes are in 瞥?
瞥 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 瞥 mean?
瞥 (piē) means to take a fleeting glance at. A common word with it is 一瞥 (yīpiē), meaning "glance; glimpse".
How do you pronounce 瞥?
瞥 is pronounced piē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 瞥?
The radical of 瞥 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 瞥 under this radical.
What is the difference between 瞥 and 看?
看 (kàn) is the general word for looking and can last any length of time. 瞥 is always brief and quick, like a passing glance. You can 看 a movie, but you only 瞥 something for a moment.
Is 瞥 used in spoken Chinese or only in writing?
It is more common in writing and storytelling, especially 一瞥 (yīpiē) and 瞥见 (piējiàn). In speech you will still hear 瞥了一眼, but people often just say 看了一眼 (kàn le yī yǎn) instead.