老花镜 (lǎo huā jìng) — presbyopic glasses (reading glasses for age-related farsightedness)

Definition

noun
presbyopic glasses (reading glasses for age-related farsightedness)
Measure word · 副

Examples

  • ，老花镜。
    Tā nián jì dà le, xū yào yí fù lǎo huā jìng.
    He is getting older and needs a pair of presbyopic glasses.
  • 老花镜。
    Wǒ de lǎo huā jìng fàng zài zhuō zi shàng le.
    I left my reading glasses on the table.
  • 老花镜。
    Zhè fù lǎo huā jìng shì zhuān mén yòng lái yuè dú de.
    This pair of presbyopic glasses is specially designed for reading.

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.

老花age-related blurred sight
老lǎoold花huāblurred
偏正Modifier + head
镜jìngglasses

老花 (age-related blurred sight) and 镜 (glasses) together denote glasses for that sight.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

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

Open 花 →

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 鏡; 镜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng鏡jìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鏡 puts 金, metal, next to 竟 to give the sound. The simplified 镜 is a later shorthand.

Open 镜 →

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