Chinese word

瞳孔

Pronunciation

Pinyintóng kǒng

Meaning

  • nounpupil

Example

在黑暗中，瞳孔会放大。zài hēi àn zhōng tóng kǒng huì fàng dà

In the dark, the pupil gets larger.

Illustration for 瞳孔 (pupil)

More examples

强光下，瞳孔会缩小。qiáng guāng xià tóng kǒng huì suō xiǎo

In bright light, the pupil constricts.

Core concept

The eye's built-in light gate, widening or narrowing as conditions change.

Common phrases

  • 瞳孔放大tóng kǒng fàng dà

    pupil dilates

  • 瞳孔缩小tóng kǒng suō xiǎo

    pupil constricts

  • 瞳孔大小tóng kǒng dà xiǎo

    pupil size

Similar words

眼睛yǎn jīng: The visible body organ that allows sight.
眼球yǎn qiú: The round main body of the eye, containing the lens, retina, and other structures.

Definition in Chinese

位于虹膜中央的圆形孔洞，随光线强弱及生理反应改变大小，以控制进入眼内的光量。wèi yú hóng mó zhōng yāng de yuán xíng kǒng dòng suí guāng xiàn qiáng ruò jí shēng lí fǎn yìng gǎi biàn dà xiǎo yǐ kòng zhì jìn rù yǎn nèi de guāng liàng

Word origin

瞳孔 (tóngkǒng, "pupil") is formed from 瞳 (tóng, "pupil of the eye") and 孔 (kǒng, "hole"), a direct description of this opening.

Usage tips

  • Changes in this part can accompany strong feelings, but the word names the physical feature rather than an emotion such as fear or surprise.

Word lists with this word