盲文 (máng wén) — Braille | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Braille

盲文。
Tā zhèng zài xué xí máng wén.
He is learning Braille.
盲文。
Zhè běn máng wén shū shì gěi máng rén zhǔn bèi de.
This Braille book is prepared for blind people.
盲文。
Tú shū guǎn lǐ yǒu hěn duō máng wén zī liào.
There are many Braille materials in the library.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

盲文 is writing for blind readers, combining 盲 and 文.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亡目盲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

亡

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盲 is made from 目, meaning “eye”, plus 亡, which gives the sound. The eye part relates to the meaning of blindness.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.