左眼 (zuǒ yǎn) — left eye

Definition

noun
left eye
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 左眼,?
    Wǒ de zuǒ yǎn zuì jìn yì zhí tiào, shì bu shì yǒu shén me yù zhào?
    My left eye has been twitching recently — is it a sign of something?
  • 左眼。
    Tā mī zhe zuǒ yǎn miáo zhǔn bǎ xīn.
    He squinted his left eye to aim at the bullseye.
  • ,左眼。
    Jiǎn chá shì lì shí, yī shēng ràng wǒ xiān wǔ zhù zuǒ yǎn.
    When checking my vision, the doctor told me to cover my left eye first.

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.

左 (left) specifies 眼 (eye), giving the left 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
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂇
𠂇𠂇左zuǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

左 grew from the picture 𠂇, a left hand, with 工 (work) added later.

Open 左 →

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

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.