头晕目眩 (tóu yūn mù xuàn) — to feel dizzy and disoriented; to have a vertig…

Definition

Idiom for feeling dizzy or lightheaded, often from motion, illness, or mental overload. Used in both spoken and written Chinese.

idiom

to feel dizzy and disorientedto have a vertiginous spell

Examples

，头晕目眩。
Tā zuò chē shí jiān tài cháng, xià chē shí jué de tóu yūn mù xuàn.
He was in the car so long that he felt dizzy when he got out.
，头晕目眩。
Wǒ gǎn mào fā shāo, zhěng tiān tóu yūn mù xuàn de.
I have a cold with a fever and felt dizzy all day.
，头晕目眩。
Miàn duì nà me duō shù jù, tā kàn dé tóu yūn mù xuàn.
Faced with so much data, he got dizzy from staring at it.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

头晕the skull feels dizzy

头tóuhead晕yūndizzy

主谓Subject + predicate

目眩eyes spin

目mùeyes眩xuàndazzled

主谓Subject + predicate

头晕 (the skull feels dizzy) and 目眩 (eyes spin) together describe a dizzy spell.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

豆dòu頭tóu

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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 暈; 晕 is its simplified writing.

日軍暈

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìSun

Sound part声符shēngfú

軍

軍jūn暈yùn

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

The traditional form 暈 first drew 日 (the sun) ringed by lines for a halo, and later paired 日 with the sound part 軍. The simplified 晕 is a later abbreviation.

Open 晕 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Open 目 →

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

目玄眩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

玄

玄xuán眩xuàn

Same sound today