太阳眼镜 (tài yáng yǎn jìng) — sunglasses

Definition

noun

sunglasses

Measure word · 副

Examples

太阳眼镜。
Tā dài zhe yí fù tài yáng yǎn jìng.
She is wearing a pair of sunglasses.
太阳眼镜。
Xià tiān chū mén bié wàng le dài tài yáng yǎn jìng.
Don't forget to bring sunglasses when going out in summer.
太阳眼镜。
Zhè fù tài yáng yǎn jìng hěn shì hé nǐ.
This pair of sunglasses really suits you.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

太阳sun

太tàigreat阳yángsun

偏正Modifier + head

眼镜glasses

眼yǎneye镜jìngglass

偏正Modifier + head

太阳 “sun” and 眼镜 “glasses” combine to mean glasses worn against the sun.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陽; 阳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阜阜fùhill

Sound part声符shēngfú

昜

昜yáng陽yáng

Same sound today

In the traditional form 陽, 阜 shows a hill and 昜 is the older character for the word, tied to sunshine and the sound; simplified 阳 is a later shorthand.

Open 阳 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

目艮眼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn眼yǎn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

Open 眼 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.