睡眼惺忪

shuìyǎn-xīngsōng

idiom

Meanings

他睡眼惺忪地走进厨房找咖啡。

Tā shuìyǎn-xīngsōng de zǒujìn chúfáng zhǎo kāfēi.

He stumbled groggy-eyed into the kitchen looking for coffee.

闹钟响了，她睡眼惺忪地按掉。

Nàozhōng xiǎng le, tā shuìyǎn-xīngsōng de àn diào.

The alarm rang; she slapped it off, bleary-eyed.

history

Used by Lu Xun in 《故事新编·采薇》, describing sleepy women drawing water at dawn.

memory

惺忪 on its own means 'drowsy / half-awake'. 睡眼 = 'sleep-eyes'. Together: 'sleep-eyes drowsy-drowsy'.

睡 shuì

眼 yǎn

惺 xīng

忪 sōng