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眼镜 (yǎn jìng) — glasses; eyeglasses

Definition

眼镜 is the object you wear to see — glasses or eyeglasses (a pair = 一副). Don't confuse it with 眼睛, which is the eye itself.

noun
glasseseyeglasses
Measure word · 副

Examples

  • 眼镜。
    Zhè fú yǎn jìng kàn qǐ lái hěn shì hé nǐ.
    This pair of glasses looks really good on you.
  • 眼镜，。
    Wǒ wàng le dài yǎn jìng, suǒ yǐ kàn bù qīng chǔ.
    I forgot to wear my glasses, so I can't see clearly.
  • 眼镜。
    Tā sòng gěi wǒ yí fù yǎn jìng zuò wéi shēng rì lǐ wù.
    He gave me a pair of glasses as a birthday gift.

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.

眼yǎneye
镜jìnglens

眼 (eye) and 镜 (lens) combine as a lens for the eye.

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.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鏡; 镜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng鏡jìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鏡 puts 金, metal, next to 竟 to give the sound. The simplified 镜 is a later shorthand.

Open 镜 →
Appears in
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