Meaning of 耳机
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- headphones
- earphones
- telephone receiver
How to use 耳机
耳机 covers all kinds of headphones and earbuds, wired or wireless. The verb is usually 戴 (dài, to wear), not 穿. Example: 我戴着耳机听音乐。(Wǒ dàizhe ěrjī tīng yīnyuè.) I'm listening to music with headphones on.
耳 (ěr) means ear and 机 (jī) means machine, so 耳机 is simply an "ear machine." Think of it alongside 手机 (shǒujī), the "hand machine" you plug it into.
Common mistake: Both syllables can trip people up. 耳 is third tone (ěr) and 机 is first tone (jī). Learners sometimes say ér or jǐ by mistake. Also avoid 穿耳机. You 戴 (dài) headphones, the same verb used for glasses and hats.
耳机 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
耳 ěr · ear · 6 strokes
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机 jī · desk · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 耳机.
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum |
| 机票 | jīpiào | plane ticket; airline ticket |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance |
| 司机 | sījī | chauffeur; driver |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera (abbr. for 照相機|照相机[zhao4 xiang4 ji1]); at the opportune moment |
| 计算机 | jìsuànjī | computer; (Tw) calculator |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film |
| 洗衣机 | xǐyījī | washing machine; washer |
| 开机 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) |
Questions about 耳机
What does 耳机 mean?
耳机 (ěrjī) means "headphones; earphones" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 耳机?
耳机 is made of 2 characters: 耳 (6 strokes), 机 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 耳机 an HSK word?
Yes. 耳机 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 耳机 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 耳机 is written 耳機.
How do you say wireless or Bluetooth earphones in Chinese?
Wireless earphones are 无线耳机 (wúxiàn ěrjī), and Bluetooth earphones are 蓝牙耳机 (lányá ěrjī). For a counter, people often say 一副耳机 (yí fù ěrjī) for a pair, or 一个耳机 for a single earbud.
Can 耳机 mean a telephone receiver today?
The dictionary lists that sense, but in everyday modern speech 耳机 almost always means headphones or earbuds. For the handset of a landline phone, people more commonly say 听筒 (tīngtǒng).