About
The character for deafness, originally embodied in the traditional form "聾", is structured as a phono-semantic compound with the "耳" component denoting its association with the ear and "龍" acting primarily as a phonetic element that approximated the character's ancient pronunciation. This configuration was modified in the simplified variant "聋", where the phonetic part is reduced to "龙" while the semantic "耳" remains unchanged, thus maintaining the conceptual link to hearing. In terms of semantic development, the character has consistently referred to a lack of auditory capacity since its early attestations, though it has also been extended in literary contexts to describe a metaphorical or willful inability to heed words or advice. The transformation in its graphical representation focuses solely on streamlining the phonetic component, without altering the fundamental relationship between the character's form and its core meaning related to auditory function.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那个孩子是聋的。
聋哑人需要帮助。
她学习聋哑人手语。
这位聋人艺术家很出名。
虽然他是聋的，但他很乐观。
因为耳聋，他戴了助听器。
聋哑儿童在特殊学校受教育。
现代科技为聋人提供了更多的沟通方式。