ěr jī
earphone; headphone; headset
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我需要一副耳机。
wǒ xūyào yī fù ěrjī.
I need a pair of headphones.
你能把耳机借给我吗？
nǐ néng bǎ ěrjī jiè gěi wǒ ma?
Can you lend me your headphones?
我正在听音乐，请不要打扰我。
wǒ zhèngzài tīng yīnyuè, qǐng bùyào dǎrǎo wǒ.
I'm listening to music, please don't disturb me.
耳筒 (ěr tǒng)
earphone
耳机 (ěr jī)
headphone
音箱 (yīnxīang)
speaker
耳塞 (ěr sāi)
earplugs
The Chinese word 耳机 (ěrjī) for "headphones" is a compound of two characters: 耳 (ěr), meaning "ear", and 机 (jī), meaning "machine" or "device". The term 耳机 is a relatively new word, coined in the 20th century to describe the newly invented device that allows people to listen to sound directly through their ears. The character 机 (jī) is often used in Chinese to refer to machines or devices, such as 电脑 (diànnǎo, "computer") and 电视机 (diànshìjī, "television"). The combination of 耳 and 机 in 耳机 thus literally means "ear machine", which accurately describes the function of headphones.
