眉
Character Story & Explanation
In daily life, 眉 appears in cosmetics (眉笔 méibǐ 'eyebrow pencil'), medical terms (眉弓 méigōng 'supraorbital ridge'), and idioms like 扬眉吐气 (yáng méi tǔ qì) — 'to raise one’s eyebrows and exhale', meaning to finally feel proud and relieved after long suppression. Historically, Tang dynasty poets like Li Bai used 眉 to evoke feminine elegance ('淡扫蛾眉' — lightly painted moth-like brows), and Ming-Qing novels described villains by their 'upturned, sharp brows' — linking physiognomy to moral judgment.
Oracle bone and bronze inscriptions do not preserve 眉; its earliest secure form appears in Warring States bamboo texts as a pictograph showing an eye with a curved line above — clearly representing the eyebrow arch. The modern structure retains this: 目 (eye) + a simplified upper stroke (⺶, derived from 每, indicating repetition or pattern), reflecting how brows frame and accentuate the eye — a visual and symbolic 'crown' of expression.
The character 眉 (méi) — 'eyebrow' — opens a quiet portal into the Chinese worldview where the face is not just anatomy but a moral and emotional landscape. In classical thought, eyebrows are among the 'five features' (五官) that reflect inner virtue; well-ordered brows signal composure and integrity. Confucian texts associate eyebrow movement with sincerity — a furrowed brow may reveal doubt, while relaxed brows suggest harmony between heart and conduct.
Unlike Western emphasis on eyes alone as 'windows to the soul', traditional Chinese physiognomy (面相学) treats eyebrows as 'gates of intention' — their shape, thickness, and arch convey destiny and temperament. A 'willow-leaf brow' (柳叶眉) symbolizes grace and scholarly refinement; 'sword-shaped brows' (剑眉) denote courage and decisiveness. This reflects a holistic view: no facial feature exists in isolation, but resonates with qi, character, and cosmic balance.
Moreover, 眉 appears metaphorically in high-register literary and philosophical contexts — 'raising the brows' (扬眉) signifies confidence or triumph; 'brow-knitting' (蹙眉) conveys deep contemplation or sorrow. Its radical 目 (eye) anchors it in perception, yet its meaning extends beyond sight to *how one presents oneself to the world*. Thus, 眉 embodies the Confucian ideal of 'outer form expressing inner cultivation' — aesthetics as ethics made visible.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
Your First Step into Chinese Culture: Get a Chinese Name
Every journey into Chinese begins with a name. Use our free Chinese name generator to create a meaningful, personalized Chinese name that fits you perfectly.
Get My Chinese Name →