盯 (dīng) is a Chinese character meaning “to stare at”. It is written from 目 (eye) and 丁 (fourth heavenly stem; adult male), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to stare at”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
目 + 丁
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形分解 ⿰目丁，已按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（目 5 画 + 丁 2 画 = 7 画）
Memory aid
An eye (目) locked onto a nail (丁) hammered into the wall — the eye does not move, and 丁 dīng also gives you the sound: dīng.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 盯住dīng zhùto keep one's eyes fixed on; to keep watch on盯 = dīng
- 盯着dīng zhestaring at; watching closely盯 = dīng
Go deeper
All readings
to stare at
to stare at; to fix one's eyes on; to keep watch on
眼睛集中视线看着某人或某物，不移开。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 盯住dīng zhùto keep one's eyes fixed on; to keep watch on盯 = dīng
- 盯着dīng zhestaring at; watching closely盯 = dīng
Sound component
丁 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 盯 mean?
盯 (dīng) means to stare at; to fix one's eyes on; to keep watch on.
How do you pronounce 盯?
It is pronounced dīng.
What parts is 盯 made of?
目 (eye) and 丁 (fourth heavenly stem; adult male), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形分解 ⿰目丁，已按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（目 5 画 + 丁 2 画 = 7 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 盯 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 盯?
目. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 盯?
Common ones are 盯住 and 盯着. The reading of 盯 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.