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眼眶 (yǎn kuàng) — eye socket, orbit; rim of the eye

Definition

A body-part noun for the bony eye socket and the rim area around the eye (the skin that reddens when you cry). It refers only to the area around the eye, not the eyeball itself (眼球).

noun
eye socketorbitrim of the eye

Examples

  • ，眼眶。
    Tā bèi dǎ le yì quán, yǎn kuàng dōu qīng le.
    He was punched and his eye socket turned black.
  • 眼眶，。
    Tā yǎn kuàng hóng le, yǎn lèi zài dǎ zhuàn.
    The rim of her eyes turned red, tears welling up.
  • ，眼眶。
    Nǎi nai nián jì dà le, yǎn kuàng dōu xiàn xià qù le.
    Grandma is old, her eye sockets have sunken in.

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
眶kuàngrim/socket

“眼” (eye) and “眶” (rim/socket) combine to mean the rim or socket of 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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 眶 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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