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眩晕 (xuàn yūn) — dizziness; vertigo (medical condition)

Definition

Medical/formal term for 'vertigo' — the spinning sensation, often inner-ear related. Stronger and more clinical than the everyday 头晕 ('dizziness').

noun
dizzinessvertigo (medical condition)

Examples

  • 眩晕，。
    Tā zuì jìn jīng cháng gǎn dào xuàn yūn, xū yào qù yī yuàn jiǎn chá yí xià.
    She has been feeling dizzy often lately and needs to go to the hospital for a check-up.
  • ，眩晕。
    Chéng zuò guò shān chē hòu, wǒ chū xiàn le duǎn zàn de xuàn yūn.
    After riding the roller coaster, I experienced brief vertigo.
  • 眩晕。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ zhè ge xuàn yūn shì nèi ěr wèn tí yǐn qǐ de.
    The doctor said my vertigo is caused by an inner ear problem.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

眩xuàndizzy
晕yūnfaint; dizzy

眩 and 晕 both describe dizziness or faintness, so together mean vertigo.

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
玄
玄xuán眩xuàn
Same sound today

The 目 part shows it is about the eye; 玄 provides the sound.

Open 眩 →

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 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

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