ngaan5 tiu1 zam1眼挑針眼挑针

Jyutpingngaan5 tiu1 zam1

Yalengáahn tīu jām

名詞

Definition

Sty or hordeolum; an infection of the sebaceous glands on the eyelid causing redness and swelling.

colloquialhealthbody

How it's used

This term is the standard colloquial way to describe a sty in Hong Kong, whereas the medical term 麥粒腫 is rarely used in daily life. It is almost always paired with the verb 生, meaning to grow or develop, when describing the condition. The condition is often jokingly attributed to peeking at things one should not see, reflecting a common local superstition.

Measure word

nap1粒nāp

Examples

ngo5我zek3隻ngaan5眼saang1生zo2咗nap1粒ngaan5眼tiu1挑zam1針，hou2好tung3痛aa4呀。

I have a sty on my eye, it hurts so much.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪saang1生gan2緊ngaan5眼tiu1挑zam1針aa4呀？ngaan5眼bin1邊hung4紅saai3晒wo5喎。

Are you getting a sty? Your eyelid edge is all red.

Common phrases

saang1生ngaan5眼tiu1挑zam1針

to have a sty

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 眼乾, which refers to dry eyes. Learners sometimes mistakenly use it to describe any eye irritation, but it specifically refers to the localized swelling or bump on the eyelid.