盲人

• Pinyin: máng rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 盲 = 亡 (lost/dead) + 目 (eye), blind; 人 = person

Meaning

Blind person; someone without sight. A person who cannot see.

The formal, neutral term for people who are blind. Related terms: 盲道 (tactile paving for the blind), 盲文 (Braille), 导盲犬 (guide dog), 盲校 (school for the blind). The idiom 盲人摸象 (blind men and an elephant) describes partial understanding of a complex situation.

Examples

1. 地铁站的盲道是专门为盲人设计的，请大家不要占用。 The tactile paving in the subway station is designed specifically for blind people — please don't block it.
2. 这位盲人钢琴家从小失明，却凭借惊人的听觉成为大师。 This blind pianist lost his sight as a child, yet became a master through his amazing sense of hearing.
3. 志愿者们每周都会去盲人学校，为孩子们读故事书。 Volunteers go to the school for the blind every week to read storybooks to the children.

Usage Guide

Context: accessibility, social services, disability

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个软件有盲人模式。(This software has a blind accessibility mode.)
• 盲人也能独立生活。(Blind people can live independently too.)

Don't Say

• 用瞎子来称呼盲人 (瞎子 is considered rude/offensive; use 盲人 or 视障人士)

Origin & History

Compound of 盲 (blind) + 人 (person). 盲 depicts 亡 (lost) + 目 (eye) — eyes that have 'lost' sight.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal