耳機 / 耳机
ěrjī
In Chinese, the phrase for "headphones" is 耳機 / 耳机 (ěrjī). Wiktionary also lists 耳筒 (ěrtǒng).
Meaning: pair of speakers worn over or in the ears so only the wearer can hear the sound (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 耳機 / 耳机 | ěrjī |
| 耳筒 | ěrtǒng |
The term refers to a pair of speakers worn over or in the ears so only the wearer can hear the sound.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 耳機 (ěrjī) is a compound of 耳 (ear) and 機 (machine or device), literally translating to "ear machine".
Which one should you use?
耳機 / 耳机 is the most common general term used in Mandarin to refer to both headphones and earphones. The form 耳筒 (ěrtǒng) is another way to express the concept.
How do you pronounce it?
ěrjī
Did you know?
- When talking about 'noise-cancelling' headphones, Chinese speakers use 降噪 (jiàngzào), which literally means 'descend noise'.
- In many Chinese tech contexts, the term 藍牙耳機 (lányá ěrjī) is used for Bluetooth headphones, where 藍牙 is a direct translation of the word 'Bluetooth'.
- In slang or informal digital contexts, people sometimes refer to the 'earbuds' part of the phrase as 耳机头 (ěrjī tóu), meaning 'headphone heads'.
Examples in context
- 你有冇耳機？Do you have headphones?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “headphones” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
