ming4瞑
Jyutpingming4
Yalemìhng
Definition
To close one's eyes; also associated with night, dusk, or dimness.
- to close one's eyes
- literarynight; dusk; dark
- literarydim-sighted; fuzzy vision
writtenbodydaily actions
How it's used
While 瞑 can technically refer to closing eyes, it is almost exclusively used in the specific phrase 瞑目 in modern Cantonese. Outside of this set phrase, native speakers almost always prefer using 閂埋眼 or 閉眼 to describe the physical act of closing eyes. Using 瞑 in casual conversation can sound overly literary or even archaic.
Examples
You should close your eyes and rest after the surgery.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 眠, which relates to sleep. Additionally, using 瞑 in daily speech to mean simply closing one's eyes will sound unnatural to locals.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
