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红眼 (hóng yǎn) — pinkeye (conjunctivitis)

Definition

红眼 (gōngyǎn) is the common everyday term for pinkeye (conjunctivitis) — an eye infection that turns the whites red. The extended sense 'to be jealous / see red' is colloquial and figurative.

noun
pinkeye (conjunctivitis)

Examples

  • 红眼，。
    Tā dé le hóng yǎn, yǎn jing hěn hóng.
    He got pinkeye, and his eyes are very red.
  • 红眼。
    hóng yǎn Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de yǎn bù chuán rǎn bìng.
    Pinkeye is a common infectious eye disease.
  • 红眼。
    Yī shēng kāi le yǎn yào shuǐ zhì liáo tā de hóng yǎn.
    The doctor prescribed eye drops to treat his pinkeye.

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.

红hóngred
眼yǎneye

红 means red and 眼 means eye; together they name a red eye, used for pinkeye or envy.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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