合眼

héyǎn

verb #20,528

Meanings

1 to close one's eyes
2 to fall asleep
3 (euphemism) to pass away

Characters

to close / to join / to combine

Examples

他太累了，一躺下就合眼睡着了。

Tā tài lèi le, yī tǎng xià jiù héyǎn shuìzháo le.

He was so tired that he closed his eyes and fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

老人在平静中合眼离去。

Lǎorén zài píngjìng zhōng héyǎn lí qù.

The elderly man passed away peacefully.

Tips

usage

合眼 literally means 'to close the eyes.' In context it can mean to fall asleep (colloquial) or to pass away (euphemistic). The context usually makes the meaning clear.

Stroke Order

合 hé

眼 yǎn