鸡眼 (jī yǎn) — corn (a small, painful area of hard skin on the foot); bunion (a bony bump at the base of the big toe)

Definition

noun
corn (a small, painful area of hard skin on the foot)bunion (a bony bump at the base of the big toe)

Examples

  • 鸡眼，。
    Tā jiǎo shàng cháng le yí gè jī yǎn, zǒu lù hěn téng.
    He has a corn on his foot, and walking hurts a lot.
  • 鸡眼。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā chuān kuān sōng de xié lái huǎn jiě jī yǎn.
    The doctor advised her to wear loose shoes to relieve the bunion.
  • 鸡眼。
    Zhè ge yào gāo duì zhì liáo jī yǎn hěn yǒu xiào guǒ.
    This ointment is very effective for treating corns.

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.

鸡jīchicken
眼yǎneye

The “鸡” chicken and “眼” eye name a hard foot spot that looks like a chicken's 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 雞; 鸡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuīshort-tailed bird
Sound part声符shēngfú
奚
奚xī雞jī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 雞 pairs 奚, which gives the sound, with 隹, a short-tailed bird. The simplified 鸡 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the historical 奚.

Open 鸡 →

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 →

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