How to Write 聋 (lóng) — Meaning “deaf”

Imagine a dragon (龙) roaring so loudly into your ear (耳) that you go deaf. The dragon's powerful sound overwhelms your hearing, causing you to become 聋 (deaf). This visual of a dragon shouting in your ear helps link the components to the meaning.

Pay attention to the order: write the radical 耳 first, then the 龙 component. The 耳 should be slightly compressed to fit above 龙, and the horizontal strokes in 龙 must align neatly. A common mistake is making the 耳 too tall, throwing off the balance of the character.

聋 means deaf, focusing on hearing loss; 耷 means drooping or hanging down (like ears drooping), and 耸 means to shrug or be towering (like shrugging shoulders). Visually, 聋 has 耳 on top and 龙 below, while 耷 has 大 on top and 耳 below, and 耸 has 从 on top and 耳 below.

聋 is used to describe deafness or hearing impairment, as in 耳聋 (deafness) or 聋子 (deaf person). It also appears in 聋哑 (deaf and mute), which refers to people who are both deaf and cannot speak. Culturally, it is a neutral term used in medical and everyday contexts, though one should avoid using it disrespectfully.

Common words containing 聋 include: 耳聋 (ěr lóng) — deaf; deafness; 聋子 (lóng zi) — deaf person; 聋哑 (lóng yǎ) — deaf and mute.