How to Write 聩 (kuì) — Meaning “deaf”

Imagine a very expensive (贵) ear (耳) that is so valuable it has become deaf from being treated too delicately. The left side is "ear" and the right side is "expensive" — picture a golden ear that cannot hear because it is too precious to use.

Pay attention to the balance: the left 耳 (ear) should be narrow and tall, about one-third the width, while the right 贵 is wider. A common mistake is making the top of 贵 (which is 中 over 一) too small — ensure the 贝 (shell) at the bottom is clearly visible and not cramped.

聩 (deaf) uses the ear radical 耳 with 贵 on the right, while 聘 (to engage, to invite) has 耳 on the left and 甹 (pīng) on the right. 聚 (to gather) has a different radical — 耳 on top and 取 below. Visually, 聩's right side contains 贝 (shell/money), while 聘 uses 由 and 丂, and 聚 uses 取.

聩 appears mainly in formal or literary idioms, most famously 振聋发聩 (zhèn lóng fā kuì), meaning "to rouse the deaf and awaken the unenlightened" — used to describe powerful speeches or ideas. 昏聩 (hūn kuì) describes someone who is muddle-headed or senile, and 聋聩 (lóng kuì) simply means "deaf" but is rarely used in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 聩 include: 振聋发聩 (zhèn lóng fā kuì) — enlightening; eye-opening; to wake the deaf; 昏聩 (hūn kuì) — Muddle-headed / Senile; 聋聩 (lóng kuì) — deaf; unenlightened.