睡眼惺忪 (shuìyǎnxīngsōng): with sleepy, bleary eyes

Meanings

1 with sleepy, bleary eyes
2 groggy
3 barely awake

Characters

睡

Examples

他睡眼惺忪地走进厨房找咖啡。

Tā shuìyǎnxīngsōng 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 shuìyǎnxīngsōng de àn diào.

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

Tips

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'.

Stroke Order

睡 shuì

眼 yǎn

惺 xīng

忪 sōng

Related Words

金鱼眼 jīnyúyǎn

protruding eyes / bug eyes (lit. goldfish eyes)

桃花眼 táohuāyǎn

'peach-blossom eyes' — long, slightly upturned, doe-like eyes considered attractive and alluring / flirtatious / dreamy-looking eyes

眼神 yǎnshén HSK 7 #2,555

look in one's eyes / expression in one's eyes / gaze

三角眼 sānjiǎoyǎn

triangular eyes (eye shape with drooping outer corner and downward upper lid) / triangle-shaped eyes

黑夜给了我黑色的眼睛 hēiyègěilewǒhēisèdeyǎnjīng

the black night gave me black eyes / the dark age has given me eyes made for seeing in the dark / Gu Cheng's iconic line on being born to a broken era

丹凤眼 dānfèngyǎn

phoenix eyes / almond-shaped eyes with upturned outer corners

护眼 hùyǎn

to protect the eyes; eye-friendly / easy on the eyes

眯眯眼 mīmīyǎn

squinty eyes / slitted / narrowly-opened eyes

泡泡眼 pàopàoyǎn

puffy eyes / swollen eyes

小眼睛 xiǎoyǎnjing

small eyes / narrow eyes