瞌 (kē): (in 瞌睡) to doze; to feel sleepy

Meanings

下午的课上他直打瞌睡。

Xiàwǔ de kè shàng tā zhí dǎ kēshuì.

He kept dozing off in the afternoon class.

一夜没睡，我整天犯瞌睡。

Yí yè méi shuì, wǒ zhěngtiān fàn kēshuì.

After a sleepless night I felt drowsy all day.

usage

Only used in 瞌睡 (to doze, nod off). The set verb is 打瞌睡 — to drift into a light, head-nodding sleep.

radical

目 mù

eye

Left 目 (eye), the indexing radical. Drowsiness shows in the eyes — they close — placing 瞌 with 睡 (to sleep) and 眠 (slumber).

phonetic

盍 hé

to cover; phonetic

Right 盍 supplies the sound (hé drifting to kē) and a covering image — the eyelids 'shut over' the eyes as one nods off.

瞌 kē