耳根 (ěrgēn): base of the ear

Measure Word

一个耳根 gè

Tā ěrgēn fā hóng, xiǎnrán yǒuxiē hàixiū.

The base of his ears turned red — clearly he was a bit embarrassed.

Háizimen dōu shuì le, ěrgēn zǒngsuàn qīngjìng le.

The kids are asleep — finally some peace and quiet.

usage

耳根清净 (ěrgēn qīngjìng, 'ears clean') is a fixed phrase meaning 'peace and quiet' — what you say when the noise finally stops.

culture

In Buddhism 耳根 is one of the 六根 (liùgēn, 'six sense faculties') alongside eye, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

耳 ěr

根 gēn