眶 (kuàng) is a Chinese character meaning “eye socket”. It is written from 目 (eye) and 匡 (to correct; (archaic) square basket), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “eye socket”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
目 + 匡
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS ⿰目匡（构建期 IDS 候选，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0–4 目，5–10 匡）；形声：从目，匡声
Memory aid
The eye (目) on the left tells you the meaning; 匡 (kuāng) on the right carries the sound: kuāng → kuàng. Picture 匡 as a frame around the eye — the eye socket. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 眼眶yǎn kuàngeye socket; rim of the eye眶 = kuàng
- 热泪盈眶rè lèi yíng kuàngeyes brimming with tears (of emotion)眶 = kuàng
Go deeper
All readings
eye socket
eye socket; rim of the eye
眼睛四周的边缘部分，即眼眶。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 眼眶yǎn kuàngeye socket; rim of the eye眶 = kuàng
- 热泪盈眶rè lèi yíng kuàngeyes brimming with tears (of emotion)眶 = kuàng
Sound component
匡 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 眶 mean?
眶 (kuàng) means eye socket; rim of the eye.
How do you pronounce 眶?
It is pronounced kuàng.
What parts is 眶 made of?
目 (eye) and 匡 (to correct; (archaic) square basket), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS ⿰目匡（构建期 IDS 候选，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0–4 目，5–10 匡）；形声：从目，匡声. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 眶 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 眶?
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 眶?
Common ones are 眼眶 and 热泪盈眶. The reading of 眶 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.