sun; day; daytime4 strokes · Radical: 日
日 vs 目: How to Tell Them Apart
CHARACTERS AT A GLANCE
日rì · sun; day; daytime
目one more horizontal stroke inside than 日 · mù · eye; to look, to see; division, topic
01 · SEE THE DIFFERENCE
What changes inside the shared outline?
Dark red marks the deciding detail
VS
Play each character and compare the highlighted details.
eye; to look, to see; division, topic
one more horizontal stroke inside than 日
5 strokes · Radical: 目Why the difference is easy to miss
日 and 目 share an outline that is easy to read too quickly.
目 has one more horizontal stroke inside than 日. At a glance, that shared shape can make the internal horizontals and show the count clearly easy to overlook.
Check the shape first, then confirm with the word.
If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check extra horizontal.
Choose the right character.
Which character in 日 / 目 matches “sun”?
Choose one answer.Which character completes 亚□?
Choose one answer.Which character completes 不□?
Choose one answer.How do I tell 日 vs 目 apart?
目 has one more horizontal stroke inside than 日. Then confirm with meaning/context: 日 (rì) — sun | 目 (mù) — eye.
What should I check when these characters appear in words?
Use meaning as the second route after visual discrimination: 日 = sun; 目 = eye. If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check extra horizontal.