眼
ngaan⁵
The Cantonese word for eye is 眼 (ngaan⁵). Wiktionary also lists 眼睛.
Meaning: organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 眼 | ngaan⁵ |
| 眼睛 |
The term refers to the organ of sight. While 眼 is the core component, you may also use 眼睛. If you specifically mean the eyeball, the term is 眼珠.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting eyes or referring to a specific eye, the classifier 隻 (zek3) is used before 眼, forming the phrase 隻眼 (an eye / the eye).
How do you pronounce it?
ngaan⁵
Did you know?
- The phrase 眼色 (eye color) is often used idiomatically to mean 'reading the room' or understanding a secret signal through a glance.
- Adding the word 光 (light) to 眼 creates the phrase 眼光, which refers not just to sight but to a person's taste, insight or foresight.
- In Cantonese, the term 眼珠 (eyeball) literally translates to 'eye bead', reflecting the spherical shape of the organ.
Examples in context
- 我隻眼好痛。My eye hurts.This sentence is useful for expressing that an eye is hurting.Tatoeba #12278116 by FishlandicFishy, translation #12278114 by FishlandicFishy
- 我右眼睇唔到嘢。I'm blind in the right eye.This sentence is useful for describing vision problems in a specific eye.Tatoeba #7996114 by nickyeow, translation #6873137 by CK
- 有啲嘢入咗我隻眼。I have something in my eye.This sentence is useful for stating that a foreign object has entered the eye.Tatoeba #611953 by nickyeow, translation #436687 by lukaszpp
- 佢嘅眼好大好亮。His/her eyes are big and bright.
- 我頭痛得眼都睜唔開。I have a headache, and my eyes won't even open.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about an allergy.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung志強，你隻眼點解咁紅？Zi3 koeng4, nei5 zek1 ngaan2 dim2 gai3 zaan6 hung4?Zi Qiang, why is your eye so red?
- 志強 Chi Keung我隻眼好痕，可能係敏感。ngo5 zek1 ngaan2 hou2 han4, ho2 nang4 si6 man5 gam2.My eye is very itchy, maybe it's an allergy.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung你唔好用手搓眼呀。nei5 m4 hou2 jung6 sau2 co2 ngaan2 aa3.You shouldn't rub your eye with your hand.
- 志強 Chi Keung我知道，我而家去洗眼。ngo5 zi1 dou6, ngo5 ji4 gaa1 heoi3 sai2 ngaan2.I know, I'm going to wash my eye now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eye” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
