眼睛
yǎnjing/jɛn²¹⁴ d͡ʑ̥iŋ⁴/
The English word 'eye' is translated into Chinese as 眼睛 (yǎnjing). Wiktionary also lists 眼 (yǎn).
Meaning: organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 眼睛 | yǎnjing | /jɛn²¹⁴ d͡ʑ̥iŋ⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, Sinological IPA) /jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 眼 | yǎn | /jɛn²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /iɛn⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 目 | ba̍k | /bak̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /bak̚¹²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 目睭 | ba̍k-chiu | /bak̚²⁴⁻²¹ t͡siu⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Yongchun, Longyan, Yongchun) /bak̚⁴⁻³² t͡siu⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese, Yongchun, Longyan) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the organ used for sight. While 眼睛 is the standard noun for the organ, the single character 眼 is frequently used as a component in compounds or within idiomatic expressions.
Which one should you use?
眼睛 is the standard, full noun for the organ. In contrast, 眼 is often used as a component in compounds or in idiomatic expressions. If you want to refer specifically to the eyeball rather than the whole eye, use 眼珠.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the word for eye is нянҗин. In Hokkien, you can use 目 or 目睭.
How does it change in a sentence?
The single character 眼 can function as a measure word for certain types of objects or as a component in time-related idioms, such as in the phrase 一转眼 (in the blink of an eye).
How do you pronounce it?
yǎnjing
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese medicine, different parts of the 眼睛 are believed to be linked to the health of specific internal organs like the liver.
- The phrase 睁一只眼闭一只眼 (open one eye and close one eye) is used to describe the act of intentionally ignoring a mistake or a crime.
- The ancient character 目 began as a pictograph of a human eye, but over centuries it was rotated 90 degrees to its current vertical orientation.
Examples in context
- 我的眼睛疼。My eye hurts.This sentence is useful for describing physical discomfort in the 眼睛.Tatoeba #12278115 by FishlandicFishy, translation #12278114 by FishlandicFishy
- 情人眼裡出西施。Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.This sentence demonstrates the use of 眼 in an idiomatic expression regarding beauty.Tatoeba #1225680 by tsayng, translation #393871 by blay_paul
- 他一转眼就跑了。He left in the blink of an eye.This sentence shows how 眼 functions in a time-related idiom.Tatoeba #8737036 by crescat, translation #534718 by Scott
- Nǐ de yǎnjīng zhēn piàoliang. (你的眼睛真漂亮。)Your eyes are really beautiful.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a clinic, Zhiqiang is describing a discomfort to Jiayi.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我的眼睛有点干。Wǒ de yǎnjing yǒudiǎn gān.My eyes are a bit dry.
- 佳怡 Jiayi是不是看电脑太久了？Shì bú shì kàn diànnǎo tài jiǔ le?Is it because you looked at the computer for too long?
- 志强 Zhiqiang可能是吧，我也觉得有点累。Kěnéng shì ba, wǒ yě juéde yǒudiǎn lèi.Maybe, I feel a bit tired too.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那你应该多休息一下。Nà nǐ yīnggāi duō xiūxi yíxià.Then you should rest a bit more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eye” translations and entries 眼睛, 眼, 目, 目睭, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 目, 目睭, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
