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瞽 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瞽gǔblind, stupid; a blind musiciang, 18 strokes, radical 目
瞽gǔundiscerningunknown, 18 strokes, radical 目
gǔ(gu3) T3
  1. 1blind, stupid; a blind musician
  2. 2undiscerning
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瞽gǔ(gu3)

The character 瞽 (gǔ) primarily refers to being blind or lacking sight. It can also carry the connotation of being undiscerning or foolish in one's judgments. This term is often used in literary contexts or discussions about music, particularly in reference to blind musicians who are skilled despite their visual impairment.

Strokes18Radical目
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, blind musicians have historically played a significant role in traditional music, showcasing that one's talents can transcend physical limitations. This character often evokes admiration for their skill and resilience.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'guy' who is 'blind' (gǔ) walking with a cane, tapping it on the ground, trying to find his way. The character 瞽 resembles a pair of eyes with a cross (indicating blindness) inside a frame, symbolizing the lack of vision.

Meanings of 瞽

gǔ(gu3)
1blind, stupid; a blind musician
2undiscerning
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 瞽

瞽Simplified
18Strokes
目Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瞽

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Podcast: 瞽

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AI Study Notes for 瞽

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 瞽 with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. This term is more formal and might not be used in everyday conversations. Common collocations include 瞽者 (blind person) and 瞽音 (blind music).

HSK Study Tips

Although 瞽 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can connect to HSK Level 5 words related to perception and understanding. Students should focus on related terms like 视 (to see) and 聋 (deaf) to understand contrasts in sensory abilities.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瞽 with 盲 (máng), which is more commonly used for 'blind.' For example, saying 瞽人 (gǔ rén) instead of 盲人 (máng rén) can lead to confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瞽

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Etymology of 瞽

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)鼓
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 瞽

  1. 1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half鼓 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayeye
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 瞽? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 瞽?

Decomposition of 瞽

IDS Structure⿱鼓目
瞽Full Character
=
鼓gu3
top
目mu4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 瞽?

How to say blind, stupid; a blind musician in Chinese

“blind, stupid; a blind musician” in Chinese is瞽gǔ

The character 瞽 (gǔ) primarily refers to being blind or lacking sight. It can also carry the connotation of being undiscerning or foolish in one's judgments. This term is often used in literary contexts or discussions about music, particularly in reference to blind musicians who are skilled despite their visual impairment.

When to use 瞽

Be careful not to confuse 瞽 with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. This term is more formal and might not be used in everyday conversations. Common collocations include 瞽者 (blind person) and 瞽音 (blind music).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瞽 with 盲 (máng), which is more commonly used for 'blind.' For example, saying 瞽人 (gǔ rén) instead of 盲人 (máng rén) can lead to confusion.

Write 瞽

瞽

Practice writing 瞽 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 瞽

Words Containing This Character1
瞽gǔblind
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 瞽 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 瞽

Synonyms include 盲 (máng), which also means blind, but can be used more broadly.

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Not sure what to learn after 瞽?

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