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麻木不仁 (má mù bù rén) — (figurative) apathetic, indifferent, callous; (literal) numb, paralyzed (of a body part)

Definition

A chengyu meaning literally 'numb and unfeeling', used to describe a person or attitude that is callous and indifferent to others' suffering. The figurative 'apathetic/callous' sense is far more common than the literal physical numbness.

idiom
(figurative) apatheticindifferentcallous(literal) numbparalyzed (of a body part)

Examples

  • 麻木不仁，。
    Tā duì shēn biān rén de tòng kǔ má mù bù rén, ràng rén xīn hán.
    He's so numb to the suffering of those around him that it chills people.
  • 麻木不仁。
    Zhè zhǒng má mù bù rén de tài dù shì tuán duì zuì dà de wèn tí.
    This kind of indifferent attitude is the team's biggest problem.
  • 麻木不仁，。
    Tā de zuǒ tuǐ shòu shāng hòu biàn de má mù bù rén, xū yào mǎ shàng zhì liáo.
    His left leg became numb after the injury and needs immediate treatment.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

麻 combines 厂 and 𣏟 to represent hemp leaves.

Open 麻 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

木 is drawn as a tree, with branches above and roots below.

Open 木 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
二二èr
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén仁rén
Same sound today

仁 is built from 人 and 二; 人 gives the sound, and 二 gives the meaning.

Open 仁 →
Appears in
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