近视 (jìn shì) literally means 'near-sight' — 近 (jìn) means 'near' or 'close', and 视 (shì) means 'to see' or 'vision'. Together, they form the medical term for myopia, a common refractive eye condition where distant objects appear blurry while nearby objects remain clear. This occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea is too curved, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it.

近视 is widely used in clinical, educational, and everyday contexts in Chinese-speaking communities. It’s often discussed in relation to screen time, reading habits, genetics, and corrective measures like glasses, contact lenses, or laser surgery. Parents and teachers frequently monitor children’s vision development, as近视 tends to develop during school years. Unlike colloquial English terms like 'short-sightedness' (which can also mean 'lacking foresight'), 近视 in Chinese refers strictly to the physical eye condition unless explicitly used metaphorically — which is rare and marked.