晕机 (yùn jī) — to get airsick; to suffer from airsickness

Definition

晕机 specifically means getting sick from air travel (airsickness). It follows the 离合词 pattern: the object 反 can split in (坐飞机晕机 vs. 晕了一次机). Pairs with 晕车 (carsick) and 晕船 (seasick).

verb
to get airsickto suffer from airsickness

Examples

  • 晕机。
    Wǒ zuò fēi jī shí huì yùn jī.
    I get airsick when I fly.
  • 。
    Tā zuò fēi jī yūn le yí cì jī.
    He got airsick once on a flight.
  • 晕机？
    Nǐ yǐ qián yùn jī guò ma?
    Have you ever been airsick before?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

晕yūnfeel dizzy
机jīairplane

Feeling dizzy because of the airplane describes airsickness.

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 暈; 晕 is its simplified writing.

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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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