Meaning of 近视
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- myopic; nearsighted
- (fig.) shortsighted
How to use 近视
近视 describes nearsightedness and is often used with 眼 or degrees, as in 近视眼 (jìnshìyǎn) or 我近视三百度. It can also mean shortsighted in thinking, like a policy that only looks at near-term gain. Example: 我有点儿近视，看不清黑板。(Wǒ yǒudiǎnr jìnshì, kàn bù qīng hēibǎn.) I am a bit nearsighted and can't see the board clearly.
近 (jìn) means near and 视 (shì) means to look or see, so 近视 is seeing only what is near. The same 视 appears in 电视 (diànshì), the TV you might sit too close to.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 近视 (nearsighted) with 远视 (yuǎnshì, farsighted) because English speakers think in terms of what you cannot see. In Chinese, the name tells you what you can see: 近视 means you see near things well. Also keep both syllables in fourth tone: jìn shì, not jīn shì.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
近 jìn · near · 7 strokes
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视 shì · to look at · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 近视.
| 电视 | diànshì | television; TV |
| 电视机 | diànshìjī | television set |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | recently; soon |
| 重视 | zhòngshì | to attach importance to sth; to value |
| 接近 | jiējìn | to approach; to get close to |
| 电视台 | diànshìtái | television station |
| 影视 | yǐngshì | movies and television |
| 将近 | jiāngjìn | almost; nearly |
| 电视剧 | diànshìjù | TV series; TV drama |
| 近期 | jìnqī | near in time; in the near future |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby; neighboring; (in the) vicinity (of); neighborhood |
| 忽视 | hūshì | to neglect; to overlook; to disregard; to ignore |
Questions about 近视
What does 近视 mean?
近视 (jìnshì) means "myopic; nearsighted; (fig.) shortsighted" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 近视?
近视 is made of 2 characters: 近 (7 strokes), 视 (8 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 近视 an HSK word?
Yes. 近视 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 近视 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 近视 is written 近視.
How do you say someone wears glasses because of nearsightedness?
You can say 他近视，戴眼镜。(Tā jìnshì, dài yǎnjìng.) He is nearsighted and wears glasses. Glasses for myopia are called 近视眼镜 (jìnshì yǎnjìng).
Can 近视 describe a person's attitude, not just eyesight?
Yes. In a figurative sense it means shortsighted, focusing only on immediate benefits. For example, 这种做法太近视了 means this approach is too shortsighted.