yūnjī: 晕机 - Airsickness, Motion Sickness (on a plane)

• Keywords: yunjī, 晕机, airsickness in Chinese, motion sickness Chinese, travel sickness Chinese, feeling sick on a plane Chinese, how to say airsick in Mandarin, yūn jī, 晕车, 晕船
• Summary: Learn how to say “airsickness” in Mandarin Chinese with our complete guide to 晕机 (yūnjī). This page explains the meaning, character breakdown, and practical usage of this essential travel term. Discover real-world example sentences for talking about motion sickness when you fly, and understand related words like 晕车 (yūnchē) for carsickness and 晕船 (yūnchuán) for seasickness. This is a must-know word for anyone traveling in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yūnjī
• Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To suffer from airsickness; airsickness.
• In a Nutshell: 晕机 (yūnjī) is the specific Chinese word for the feeling of dizziness, nausea, and general unwellness caused by the motion of an airplane. It's a very direct and common term used by travelers and airline staff across the Mandarin-speaking world.

• 晕 (yūn): This character means “dizzy,” “faint,” or “to feel faint.” You can think of the sun (日) being so bright and intense that it makes you feel dizzy. It's the core feeling of motion sickness.
• 机 (jī): This character means “machine.” In many contexts, it acts as a shorthand for a specific type of machine. Here, 机 (jī) is short for 飞机 (fēijī), which means “airplane.”
• When combined, the logic is very clear: 晕 (yūn) “dizzy” + 机 (jī) “airplane” = Dizziness caused by an airplane, or airsickness.

While 晕机 (yūnjī) doesn't carry deep philosophical weight like terms such as 关系 (guānxi), its structure reveals a key feature of the modern Chinese language: modularity and logic. In English, we have a general term, “motion sickness,” and then specify the context: “I get motion sickness on boats” (seasickness) or “on planes” (airsickness). Chinese builds specific, efficient compounds for each context:

• 晕 (yūn) - Dizzy/Sick from motion
• 车 (chē) - Car
• 船 (chuán) - Boat
• 机 (jī) - Plane

This creates a logical and predictable system:

• 晕车 (yūnchē): Carsickness
• 晕船 (yūnchuán): Seasickness
• 晕机 (yūnjī): Airsickness

Understanding this pattern allows a learner to quickly grasp and even predict related vocabulary. It reflects a practical, context-driven approach to word formation that is very common in Chinese. As air travel has become ubiquitous in China, 晕机 has become an indispensable part of everyday travel vocabulary.

晕机 is a neutral, universally understood term used in any situation related to air travel, from casual conversation to speaking with airline staff.

• On the Plane: This is the most common scenario. You can use it to inform a flight attendant (空姐, kōngjiě or 乘务员, chéngwùyuán) that you are not feeling well. They will usually provide a sickness bag (清洁袋, qīngjiédài) or water.
• Discussing Travel: Before a trip, a person might mention their tendency to get airsick. For example: “我有点儿担心，因为我常常晕机。” (I'm a bit worried because I often get airsick.)
• At the Pharmacy: You can go to a pharmacy (药店, yàodiàn) and ask for 晕机药 (yūnjī yào) - medicine for airsickness.

The term is neither formal nor informal and is used by people of all ages.

• Example 1:
  • 我有点儿晕机，不太舒服。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yǒudiǎnr yūnjī, bú tài shūfu.
  • English: I'm a little airsick, I don't feel very well.
  • Analysis: A simple and direct way to state how you are feeling. 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) softens the statement, meaning “a little bit.”
• Example 2:
  • 你晕机吗？要不要吃片药？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yūnjī ma? Yào bu yào chī piàn yào?
  • English: Do you get airsick? Do you want to take a pill?
  • Analysis: A common question between travel companions. 药 (yào) means medicine, and a 片 (piàn) is a measure word for flat, thin objects like pills.
• Example 3:
  • 请问，你们有晕机药或者清洁袋吗？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, nǐmen yǒu yūnjī yào huòzhě qīngjiédài ma?
  • English: Excuse me, do you have any airsickness medicine or a sickness bag?
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence to use when asking a flight attendant for help.
• Example 4:
  • 我晕机得厉害，每次坐飞机都想吐。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yūnjī de lìhai, měi cì zuò fēijī dōu xiǎng tù.
  • English: I get terribly airsick; every time I fly I feel like vomiting.
  • Analysis: The particle “得 (de)” is used here to describe the degree of the verb. 厉害 (lìhai) means “severe” or “terrible,” emphasizing how bad the airsickness is.
• Example 5:
  • 这次飞行很平稳，我竟然没有晕机。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì fēixíng hěn píngwěn, wǒ jìngrán méiyǒu yūnjī.
  • English: This flight was very smooth, I surprisingly didn't get airsick.
  • Analysis: 竟然 (jìngrán) expresses surprise or that something happened contrary to expectation.
• Example 6:
  • 为了防止晕机，我上飞机前什么都没吃。
  • Pinyin: Wèile fángzhǐ yūnjī, wǒ shàng fēijī qián shénme dōu méi chī.
  • English: To prevent airsickness, I didn't eat anything before getting on the plane.
  • Analysis: 为了 (wèile) means “in order to,” and 防止 (fángzhǐ) means “to prevent.” This structure explains the reason for an action.
• Example 7:
  • 我朋友不但晕机，还晕车，所以她不喜欢长途旅行。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ péngyou búdàn yūnjī, hái yūnchē, suǒyǐ tā bù xǐhuān chángtú lǚxíng.
  • English: My friend not only gets airsick, but also gets carsick, so she doesn't like long-distance travel.
  • Analysis: The “不但… 还… (búdàn… hái…)” structure means “not only… but also…”
• Example 8:
  • 她的脸有点白，是不是晕机了？
  • Pinyin: Tā de liǎn yǒudiǎn bái, shì bu shì yūnjī le?
  • English: Her face is a bit pale, is she airsick?
  • Analysis: “是不是 (shì bu shì)” is a common way to form a yes/no question. “了 (le)” at the end indicates a change of state (she wasn't airsick before, but now she is).
• Example 9:
  • 听说贴个姜片可以缓解晕机。
  • Pinyin: Tīngshuō tiē ge jiāngpiàn kěyǐ huǎnjiě yūnjī.
  • English: I heard that putting on a slice of ginger can alleviate airsickness.
  • Analysis: This sentence introduces a piece of folk wisdom. 缓解 (huǎnjiě) is a more formal word for “to alleviate” or “to relieve.”
• Example 10:
  • 如果你怕晕机，最好选一个靠近机翼的座位。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ pà yūnjī, zuìhǎo xuǎn yí ge kàojìn jīyì de zuòwèi.
  • English: If you're afraid of getting airsick, it's best to choose a seat near the wings.
  • Analysis: A practical piece of advice. 怕 (pà) means “to be afraid of,” and 最好 (zuìhǎo) means “had better” or “it's best to.”

The most common mistake for learners is using 晕机 for motion sickness in other vehicles. The term is highly specific.

• Mistake: Using 晕机 for cars, buses, or boats.
  • Incorrect: 昨天我坐了三个小时的公共汽车，我晕机了。(Yesterday I was on the bus for three hours, I got airsick.)
  • Reason: 机 (jī) specifically refers to an airplane (飞机). A bus is a 公共汽车 (gōnggòng qìchē) or a type of 车 (chē).
  • Correct: 昨天我坐了三个小时的公共汽车，我晕车了。(Yesterday I was on the bus for three hours, I got carsick.)

Remember to always match the character 晕 (yūn) with the correct vehicle type. Think of it as a “mix-and-match” system.

• 晕车 (yūnchē) - Carsickness. The direct equivalent for cars, buses, and taxis.
• 晕船 (yūnchuán) - Seasickness. The direct equivalent for boats and ships.
• 头晕 (tóuyūn) - Dizzy, light-headed. This describes the primary symptom of 晕机, but can be used in any context (e.g., when you stand up too fast).
• 恶心 (ěxīn) - Nauseous. Another key symptom of motion sickness.
• 呕吐 (ǒutù) - To vomit. A more formal term for throwing up. A common result of severe 晕机.
• 飞机 (fēijī) - Airplane. The vehicle that causes 晕机.
• 旅行 (lǚxíng) - To travel. The general activity during which one might experience 晕机.
• 药 (yào) - Medicine. You might need 晕机药 (yūnjī yào) if you suffer from airsickness.
• 空姐 (kōngjiě) - Flight attendant (lit. “sky sister”). The informal but very common term for the person you would ask for help. The formal term is 乘务员 (chéngwùyuán).