眹 (zhèn) - Sign, omen & pupil of the eye

眹Tone 4

zhèn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

丈志

眹 · zhèn

Sign, omen;

pupil of the eye;

in imperial context, used by the emperor to refer to himself (I, the sovereign).

Sign, omenpupil of the eyein imperial context, used by the emperor to

Usage highlights

Imperial 'I'Sign or omenPupil of the eyeGood omenBad omenDivine sign

Synonyms

  • 朕— Imperial 'I' (first-person pronoun used by the emperor)
  • 兆— Omen, sign
  • 征— Sign, portent

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The emperor referred to himself as 眹 (朕) in ancient China.
  • There were signs of change (征兆).
  • The pupil of the eye (目睛) is crucial for vision.
  • He interpreted the omen (眹兆) as favorable.

Collocations

  • Imperial 'I'(朕)
  • Sign or omen(眹兆)
  • Pupil of the eye(目眹)
  • Good omen(吉眹)
  • Bad omen(凶眹)
  • Divine sign(天眹)

Idioms

  • Subtle signs and omens(眹兆微显)
  • The emperor's decree(朕命)
  • Heaven's will and signs(天命眹兆)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'sign' or 'omen,' and also 'pupil of the eye'.
  • Adopted by Qin Shi Huang as the imperial first-person pronoun 'I,' used exclusively by the emperor thereafter.
  • In modern usage, the character 朕 is more common for the imperial 'I,' while 眹 is rare and often appears in classical texts for 'sign' or 'pupil'.

FAQ