Definition

1. Noun:
   • Lens (of an optical instrument): A piece of curved or shaped glass or other transparent material used in devices like eyeglasses, cameras, telescopes, or microscopes to form an image by focusing or diverging light.
   • Watch glass / crystal: The transparent cover that protects the face of a watch or clock.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy làm vỡ một mắt kính của chiếc kính viễn vọng. (He broke one lens of the telescope.)
  • Mắt kính đồng hồ bị trầy xước. (The watch crystal is scratched.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "mắt kính" is primarily technical and is most commonly used for the lenses of instruments or the glass of a watch. In everyday speech, for the lenses of eyeglasses, the simpler word "kính" or the compound "tròng kính" is more frequent.
  • Tôi cần thay mắt kính (tròng kính) mới cho cặp kính cận của mình. (I need to get new lenses for my prescription glasses.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kính (n): Glasses, spectacles, or glass/lens in a general sense.
  • Cô ấy đeo kính. (She wears glasses.)
• Tròng kính (n): Specifically refers to the ophthalmic lens of a pair of eyeglasses.
  • Tròng kính đổi màu của tôi. (My photochromic lenses.)
• Thấu kính (n): A technical term for an optical lens (converging or diverging).

Synonyms

• Lens: A piece of glass or other transparent substance for focusing light.
• Crystal: The transparent cover of a watch face.
• Glass: Can refer to a lens or a watch glass in specific contexts.

Related Idioms

• Qua mắt kính màu: To see/view through colored glasses; meaning to have a biased or prejudiced perspective.
  • Đừng nhìn vấn đề qua mắt kính màu. (Don't view the issue with prejudice.)