盲目 (máng mù) — blind (lacking awareness or discernment); blind… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Describes acting without awareness or judgment, as in 'blindly' following others. 一味 is similar but emphasizes stubborn persistence, while 无知 describes a general lack of knowledge, not rash action.

adjective

blind (lacking awareness or discernment)blindly

Examples

盲目。
Bú yào máng mù xiāng xìn bié rén shuō de huà.
Don't blindly believe what others say.
盲目，。
Tā máng mù tóu zī le hěn duō qián, jié guǒ quán péi le.
He blindly invested a lot of money and ended up losing it all.
盲目。
máng mù Zhuī qiú cháo liú shì méi bì yào de.
Blindly chasing trends is unnecessary.

Origin

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 gives the sense of being blind and 目 points to the eye, together suggesting lack of clear sight.

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

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

亡

亡wáng盲máng

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.

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

目 began as a drawing of a human eye, turned sideways.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Injury & Disability

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