眼花 (yǎn huā) — (fixed expression) to have blurred vision; to s… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'eyes flowers': describes blurred or dazzled vision, usually from tiredness, bright light, or small print. Not a medical term — it's a vivid everyday idiom for temporary fuzzy sight.

idiom

(fixed expression) to have blurred visionto see things dimly or unclearly

Examples

，眼花。
Nǎi nai nián jì dà le, yǎn huā le.
Grandma is getting old; her eyesight has become blurry.
，眼花。
Dēng guāng tài liàng, wǒ yǒu diǎn yǎn huā.
The lights are too bright; my eyes are a bit dazzled.
，眼花。
Zhè běn shū de zì tài xiǎo, kàn dé wǒ yǎn huā.
The font in this book is too small; reading it makes my eyes blurry.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

花huāblurred

眼 (eyes) and 花 (blurred) state that the eyes become blurred.

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.

目艮眼

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

艹化花

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Illness & Symptoms

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