眷 (juàn) is a Chinese character meaning “to regard with care or affection”. It is written from 龹 (shared upper component of 券 / 卷 / 拳; not an independent character in modern Chinese) and 目 (eye), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to care for; family dependants”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
龹 + 目
Top–bottom structure
- 龹 shared upper component of 券 / 卷 / 拳; not an independent character in modern Chinese sound
- 目 eye · mù meaning
Structure from: 说文解字: 眷，顾也。从目𢍏声（现代字形上部作龹）
Memory aid
An eye (目) tucked under a curled-up top (龹): eyes that keep curling back to look at the people you care about.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 眷恋juàn liànto be sentimentally attached to; to yearn for眷 = juàn
- 眷属juàn shǔfamily members; dependants眷 = juàn
- 家眷jiā juànone’s wife and children; family眷 = juàn
Go deeper
All readings
to care for; family dependants
to regard with care or affection; to think fondly of; family members, dependants
关心、怀念；也指亲属、家属。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 眷恋juàn liànto be sentimentally attached to; to yearn for眷 = juàn
- 眷属juàn shǔfamily members; dependants眷 = juàn
- 家眷jiā juànone’s wife and children; family眷 = juàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 眷 mean?
眷 (juàn) means to regard with care or affection; to think fondly of; family members, dependants.
How do you pronounce 眷?
It is pronounced juàn.
What parts is 眷 made of?
龹 (shared upper component of 券 / 卷 / 拳; not an independent character in modern Chinese) and 目 (eye), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 眷，顾也。从目𢍏声（现代字形上部作龹）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 眷 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 眷?
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 眷?
Common ones are 眷恋, 眷属, 家眷. The reading of 眷 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.