Definitions

xuàn (literary) dizzy; (literary) dazzled; bewildered; to dazzle (variant of 炫[xuàn])

Etymology phono-semantic

eye

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

Composed of the eye radical "目" and the phonetic element "玄", the character "眩" historically conveyed the concept of visual dizziness or blurred sight, with its structure directly linking ocular function to experiences of disorientation. Over time, its meaning expanded from specifically describing impaired vision to encompass general dizziness and mental confusion, while its form has remained consistent with these components.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我有点晕。

Wǒ yǒudiǎn xuànyūn.

I feel a bit dizzy.

长时间看书会晕。

Cháng shíjiān kànshū huì xuànyūn.

Reading for a long time can cause dizziness.

阳光太目了。

Yángguāng tài xuànmù le.

The sunlight is too dazzling.

瀑布的水花很目。

Pùbù de shuǐhuā hěn xuànmù.

The spray from the waterfall is very dazzling.

他突然感到一阵晕。

Tā túrán gǎndào yīzhèn xuànyūn.

He suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

这种光对眼睛有害。

Zhè zhǒng xuànguāng duì yǎnjīng yǒu hài.

This kind of glare is harmful to the eyes.

如果你蹲下后突然站起来,可能会晕。

Rúguǒ nǐ dūnxià hòu túrán zhàn qǐlái, kěnéng huì xuànyūn.

If you squat down and then stand up suddenly, you might feel dizzy.

现代城市的霓虹灯常常令人惑。

Xiàndài chéngshì de níhóngdēng chángcháng lìng rén xuànhuò.

The neon lights of modern cities often make people dazzled and confused.