老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)

ろうがんきょう
noun
reading glasses
1. reading glasses; presbyopic glasses
Glasses used to correct age-related farsightedness (presbyopia). Typically used by people in their 40s and older who have difficulty reading small text up close.
老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)をかける。
To put on reading glasses.
最近(さいきん)、老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)がないと新聞(しんぶん)が読(よ)めない。
Lately I can't read the newspaper without reading glasses.
父(ちち)は四十代(よんじゅうだい)で老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)を使(つか)い始(はじ)めた。
My father started using reading glasses in his forties.

Glasses specifically designed to correct 老眼(ろうがん) (presbyopia), the age-related difficulty in focusing on nearby objects.

ETYMOLOGY:
Composed of 老眼(ろうがん) (presbyopia) + 鏡(きょう) (lens/glasses).

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)をかける: to put on reading glasses
  • 老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)を外(はず)す: to take off reading glasses
  • 老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう)が必要(ひつよう)になる: to start needing reading glasses

ALTERNATIVE EXPRESSIONS:

Some people avoid 老眼鏡(ろうがんきょう) because the character 老(ろう) (old) feels blunt. Softer alternatives include:

  • リーディンググラス: "reading glasses" (loanword)
  • 手元用(てもとよう)メガネ: glasses for close-up use

RELATED TERMS:

  • メガネ / 眼鏡(めがね): glasses (general)
  • 遠近両用(えんきんりょうよう)メガネ: bifocal/progressive glasses
general
Added 2026.3.25 10:36 · Revised 2026.3.26 10:40
19000/19227_rougankyou