眼睛痛
yǎnjīng tòng
To say 'sore eyes' in Mandarin, use 眼睛痛 (yǎnjīng tòng).
The phrase is used to describe physical pain or irritation felt in the eyes.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 眼睛 (yǎnjīng), meaning 'eyes' and 痛 (tòng), meaning 'pain' or 'ache'.
Which one should you use?
While 眼睛痛 describes general eye pain, you can also use 眼睛酸痛 (yǎnjīng suāntòng) to specifically describe a 'sore' or 'aching' sensation, such as that caused by eye strain. This is achieved by adding 酸 (suān), which literally means 'sour', to the word for pain.
How do you pronounce it?
yǎnjīng tòng
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, eye health is often linked to the liver. A person complaining of 眼睛痛 or fatigue might be advised by a practitioner of traditional medicine to treat their liver to cure their eyes.
- While 眼睛痛 describes physical pain, the related phrase 看不惯 (kàn bù guàn) literally means 'cannot look at' and is used to express that someone finds a behavior or situation offensive to their sensibilities.
- The character 痛 (tòng) for pain is composed of a radical meaning 'meat' or 'body' and a component meaning 'to be distressed'. It describes both physical agony and deep emotional grief.
Examples in context
- 在中国，如果你感到眼睛痛，你应该尽快去医院检查。In China, if you experience sore eyes, you should go to the hospital for a check-up as soon as possible.
- 最近天气太干燥了，我的眼睛酸痛。The weather has been too dry lately, and my eyes are sore.
- 我眼睛很痛。My eyes are very sore.
- 我的眼睛痛。Wǒ de yǎnjing tòng.My eyes hurt.
- 如果你眼睛痛，就休息一下。Rúguǒ yǎnjing tòng, jiù xiūxi yíxià.If your eyes are sore, take a rest.
- 因为看电脑太久，他眼睛痛。Yīnwèi kàn diànnǎo tài jiǔ, tā yǎnjing tòng.His eyes are sore because he looked at the computer for too long.
Example conversation
A couple is talking in the living room.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你怎么了？Jiāyí, nǐ zěnme le?Jiayi, what's wrong?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我眼睛痛。Wǒ yǎnjing tòng.My eyes are sore.
- 志强 Zhiqiang别看手机了，快去睡觉。Bié kàn shǒujī le, kuài qù shuìjiào.Stop looking at your phone and go to sleep.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好的，谢谢你。Hǎo de, xièxiè nǐ.Okay, thank you.
