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验光 (yàn guāng) — to have an eye exam; optometry

Definition

验光 (yàn guāng) means to test your eyes for a glasses prescription — done at an optician or eye clinic before getting new lenses. It's a formal/clinical term; just say 检查眼睛 in everyday speech.

verb
to have an eye examoptometry

Examples

  • 验光？
    Nǐ qù yàn guāng le ma?
    Did you go get your eyes examined?
  • ，。
    Wǒ qù nián yàn le yí cì guāng, dù shu méi biàn.
    I had an eye exam last year and my prescription didn't change.
  • 。
    Pèi xīn yǎn jìng zhī qián zuì hǎo xiān yàn guāng.
    It's best to have an eye exam before getting new glasses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

验yàntest
光guānglight

验 means test and 光 refers to light or refraction, together meaning test the eye's light.

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 驗; 验 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎ
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān驗yàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 驗 pairs 馬 (horse) with 僉 for sound; the simplified 验 is a later abbreviation.

Open 验 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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