Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瞎 | xiā | /ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /xa²⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
colloquial |
| 盲 | máng | /mɑŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /maːŋ²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 盲目 | mángmù | /mɑŋ³⁵ mu⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /maːŋ²¹ mʊk̚²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 瞽 | gǔ | /ku²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /kuː³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
archaic |
| 青盲 | chheⁿ-mê, chhiⁿ-mî | /t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² mi²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Taipei, Lukang, Kinmen, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /t͡sʰĩ³³ mi²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Taipei, Lukang, Kinmen, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
| 失明 | sit-bêng | /sit̚³²⁻⁴ biɪŋ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /sit̚⁵⁻²⁴ biɪŋ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien, formal |
The term can describe the physical inability to see or be used metaphorically to mean acting blindly, randomly or recklessly. For example, when used as an adverb, it can mean doing something without care or reason, such as talking nonsense. For purely metaphorical blindness, such as blind faith, the term 盲目 is preferred.
Which one should you use?
The forms vary significantly based on context and register. 失明 is a formal, medical term for blindness or the act of losing sight. In contrast, 瞎 is the colloquial way to describe a person who is blind. While 瞎 can refer to physical blindness, it is also very frequently used as an adverb to mean "blindly", "randomly" or "recklessly" in a non-physical sense. The term 盲目 is specifically used for metaphorical blindness, such as "blindly following" something.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word 瞎 is colloquial. For a more formal or medical tone, use 失明. For a highly formal or literary tone, one might encounter the archaic term 瞽. When referring to a person, 失明者 is a formal way to say "person who has lost their sight", while 瞎子 is an informal way to say "blind person".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the words ха and хазы are used. In Hokkien, you may use 青盲 or the formal 失明.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To create a noun meaning "blind person" from the colloquial 瞎, you can add the suffix 子 to form 瞎子, though be aware this can sound blunt or insensitive depending on the context. For a more neutral noun, 盲人 is used to mean "blind person".
How do you pronounce it?
xiā (/ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/)
Did you know?
- The character 盲 is used in the word 盲盒, which means 'blind box'. This refers to a mystery package where the buyer does not know which toy is inside until it is opened.
- The phrase 瞎搞 uses the word for 'blind' to describe messing around or handling a situation clumsily and recklessly. It implies the person is 'blindly' attempting something without a plan.
- The Dungan language, a variety of Chinese spoken in Central Asia, uses the specific words ха or хазы to express the idea of being blind.
Examples in context
- 汤姆失明了。Tom became blind.This sentence uses the formal term 失明 to describe someone becoming blind.Tatoeba #4972485 by wzhd, translation #2956095 by CK
- 他不是瞎子。He is not blind.This sentence uses the colloquial term 瞎 to describe someone who is not blind.Tatoeba #13050333 by maina, translation #12470488 by Aghanim
- 恋爱使人盲目。Love is blind.This sentence uses the term 盲 to describe metaphorical blindness in love.Tatoeba #1471530 by sadhen, translation #453394 by CM
- 他是一位盲人，但是他在音乐方面有很大的天赋。He is a blind person, but he has great talent in music.
- 这家机构致力于帮助失明者重新适应生活。This organization is dedicated to helping blind people readjust to life.
- 那个瞎子对音乐有特别的感觉。That blind person has a special sense for music.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Jiayi are talking about a neighbor.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，你知道隔壁那个老爷爷是瞎的吗？Jiāyí, nǐ zhīdào gébì nàge lǎo yéye shì xiā de ma?Jiayi, do you know that the old grandfather next door is blind?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我知道，他经常带着导盲犬出门。Wǒ zhīdào, tā jīngcháng dàizhe dǎomángquǎn chūmén.I know, he often goes out with a guide dog.
- 浩然 Haoran他虽然瞎了，但生活非常独立。Tā suīrán xiā le, dàn shēnghuó fēicháng dúlì.Although he is blind, he is very independent in his life.
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，他是个很坚强的人。Shì de, tā shì gè hěn jiānqiáng de rén.Yes, he is a very strong person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blind” translations and entries 瞎, 盲, 盲目, 瞽, 青盲, 失明, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
