耳机

• Pinyin: ěr jī
• Hanzi breakdown: 耳 = pictograph of an ear; 机 = 木 (wood) + 几 (small table), simplified from 機 meaning machine

Meaning

Earphones; headphones. A device worn on or in the ears for listening to audio.

Covers all types of personal audio devices including earbuds, in-ear earphones, over-ear headphones, and wireless models. Very common in daily conversation, especially among younger generations. 蓝牙耳机 means Bluetooth earphones; 降噪耳机 means noise-cancelling headphones.

Examples

1. 上班路上我都会戴耳机听音乐。 I always wear earphones and listen to music on my way to work.
2. 他的蓝牙耳机丢了，到处在找。 He lost his Bluetooth earphones and is searching everywhere.
3. 图书馆里请戴耳机，不要外放声音。 Please wear headphones in the library — don't play audio out loud.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你的耳机可以借我用一下吗？(Can I borrow your earphones for a moment?)
• 这副耳机的音质很不错。(The sound quality of these headphones is quite good.)

Don't Say

• 把'耳机'和'耳塞'完全等同 (Don't treat 耳机 and 耳塞 as identical — 耳机 is the general term for all headphones/earphones, while 耳塞 specifically means earplugs or in-ear earbuds)

Origin & History

Compound of 耳 (ear) and 机 (machine, device). Literally 'ear device.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal