眶 (kuàng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

眶

kuàng[kuang4]Tone 4

eye socket

Guru Deep Dive

English · eye socket

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:11

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (目) is narrow and compact, while the right component (恲 or 匡 structure) is broader, giving the character a balanced left-right weight distribution.

1. Meaning

eye socket

orbit (anatomical)rim or frame around the eye

Noun / Bound FormFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#anatomy#body parts#emotions (tears)

Sample Usage

热泪盈眶
rè lèi yíng kuàng
eyes brimming with hot tears
眼眶
yǎn kuàng
eye socket / eye rim

2. Sound

/[kʰu̯äŋ⁵¹]/Tone: 51

眶

kuàngkuang4

`(51)

=kuàng

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

kuang

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Initial Consonant

Type: Aspirated Velar

Sounds like: k sound as in 'kite'

Aspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Strong gust of air from throat! Tissue held in front MUST fly forward.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue raised against the soft palate, releasing a strong puff of air.

Final Rhyme

uang

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: oo-ahng sound as in 'guano'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'wahng'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops abruptly to the bottom, similar to saying 'No!' in English when you refuse something firmly.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the velar nasal ending [-ng] with the alveolar nasal ending [-n], or mishearing the Tone 4 drop as Tone 1 or Tone 3.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp karate chop starting high and plunging straight down, mirroring Tone 4.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (目) is narrow and compact, while the right component (恲 or 匡 structure) is broader, giving the character a balanced left-right weight distribution.

4. Components

Radical 目 · Eye Radical (eye, vision)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 目 (Indicates that the character relates to the eye and its surrounding anatomy.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 匡 (original sound: kuāng / kuàng)

The eye radical (目) sits on the left to indicate the eye, combined with the frame component (匡) on the right, signifying the bone frame or socket holding the eye.

目 eye
匡 frame / rectangular basket

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

7· Phonetic Root: 匡 (kuāng)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from 目 (eye) as the semantic indicator showing relation to vision and eyes, and 匡 (frame/basket) providing the phonetic reading and hinting at a surrounding container or enclosure.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to the bone frame surrounding the eye, and expanded over time to refer specifically to the eye sockets and the eye rims where tears well up.

Often appears in idiomatic expressions describing emotional outbursts, such as tears overflowing the eye socket.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: コウ (kō) / Kun: わく (waku)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

眶

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine an EYE (目) trapped inside a wooden FRAME (匡), filling up the empty SPACE like an eye socket holding tears.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

匡

kuāngsurname Kuang; (literary) to rectifyPhonetic Core (声旁)

框

kuàngframe, casing, framework, template, to circle, to restrict+ 木 (tree)

筐

kuāngbasket+ ⺮ (bamboo)

哐

kuāng(onom.) crash; bang; clang+ 口 (mouth)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

框(kuàng)

框 uses the wood radical (木) for door/window frames, whereas 眶 uses the eye radical (目) for eye sockets.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

听到这个感人的故事，他的眼[___]湿润了。

Clue: kuàng

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 眶 (eye socket, with 目) with 框 (frame, with 木) due to identical pronunciation and similar right-hand phonetic component.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 眶 mean and which radical gives it its core meaning?

Production: How do you write the character for 'eye socket' (kuàng) combining an eye and a frame?

眶kuàngeye socket

Speed:

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