镜 (jìng) - Mirror — a reflective surface, typically glass coated & also refers to lenses, optical instruments, and metaphorical

镜Tone 4

jìng ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

傑君

镜 · jìng

Mirror — a reflective surface, typically glass coated with metal;

also refers to lenses, optical instruments, and metaphorical reflection or examination.

Mirror — a reflective surface, typically glass coatedalso refers to lenses, optical instruments, and metaphorical

Usage highlights

MirrorEyeglassesMicroscopeTelescopeLensRearview mirror

Synonyms

  • 鉴— mirror or to reflect (more classical/literary)
  • 照— to reflect or shine (verb form)

Antonyms

  • 盲— blind (opposite of clarity/vision)
  • 暗— dark (opposite of reflection/light)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She looked at herself in the mirror (镜子).
  • The microscope lens (镜片) needs cleaning.
  • He wears glasses (眼镜) for reading.
  • The surveillance camera (监控镜) captured the incident.
  • This provides a mirror of society (社会之镜).

Collocations

  • Mirror(镜子)
  • Eyeglasses(眼镜)
  • Microscope(显微镜)
  • Telescope(望远镜)
  • Lens(镜片)
  • Rearview mirror(后视镜)

Idioms

  • Flowers in the mirror, moon in the water(镜花水月)
  • Break the mirror to avoid the evil spirits(破镜避邪)
  • The mirror of history(历史之镜)
  • A broken mirror reunited(破镜重圆)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, mirrors were historically made of bronze and used in rituals to ward off evil spirits.
  • Mirrors symbolize self-reflection, truth, and clarity in both literal and philosophical contexts.
  • The idiom '破镜重圆' (broken mirror reunited) refers to reconciliation or reunion after separation.
  • Mirrors are associated with yin energy and are sometimes avoided in certain Feng Shui practices.

FAQ