文盲

• Pinyin: wén máng
• Hanzi breakdown: 文 (writing, literacy); 盲 = 亡 + 目 (blind — death of sight)

Meaning

Illiterate person; illiteracy. Someone who cannot read or write. Also used metaphorically to describe someone lacking knowledge in a specific field.

China launched major literacy campaigns (扫盲运动) after 1949. Today the term is also used figuratively: 电脑文盲 (computer illiterate), 法律文盲 (legally illiterate). Carries a negative connotation and should be used with sensitivity.

Examples

1. 新中国成立初期，农村地区存在大量文盲，政府随即开展了大规模的扫盲运动。 In the early years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, there was widespread illiteracy in rural areas, and the government soon launched large-scale literacy campaigns.
2. 尽管他没有接受过正规教育，但凭借多年自学，早已不再是文盲。 Although he never received a formal education, years of self-study mean he’s no longer illiterate.
3. 在信息时代，不会使用互联网的人有时被称为网络文盲。 In the information age, people who can’t use the internet are sometimes called “internet illiterates.”

Usage Guide

Context: education, society, history

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 政府推行九年义务教育的核心目标之一，就是从根本上消除文盲现象。(One of the core goals of the government's nine-year compulsory education policy is to fundamentally eliminate illiteracy.)
• 他自嘲是个音乐文盲，其实只是对乐理知识了解不多而已，并非毫无鉴赏力。(He jokingly called himself musically illiterate — he simply had limited knowledge of music theory, not a complete lack of appreciation.)

Don't Say

• 她写字写得很文盲 — 文盲 refers to total inability to read or write, not poor handwriting; use 字写得潦草 or 字迹难辨 for messy or illegible writing

Origin & History

文 (writing, literacy) + 盲 (blind — unable to see or read)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal