How to Write 瞎 (xiā) — Meaning “Blind”

Picture an eye (目) that has been harmed (害) by someone poking it with a sharp object, making it blind. The left side is the eye, and the right side 害 looks like a hand with a stick striking the eye. This violent image helps link the form to the meaning "blind."

The left radical 目 is narrow and tall, with five strokes, and should not be too wide. The right part 害 has a top 宀 (roof) that sits above 丰 (three horizontal lines) and 口 (mouth), and the overall balance is critical — keep the right side compact. A common mistake is making the left 目 too big or misaligning the horizontal strokes in 害.

瞎 (xiā) means 'blind' and contains 目 plus 害, while 睘 (qióng) is a rare character meaning 'to look startled' and has a different right component (袁). 睚 (yá) means 'corner of the eye' and appears in the word 睚眦必报 (yá zì bì bào, 'to seek revenge for the smallest grievance'), with the right side 厓. Their meanings and pronunciations are completely distinct.

瞎 is common in spoken Chinese to mean 'blind' literally, as in 瞎子 (blind person), or figuratively for reckless actions, like 瞎说 (talk nonsense) and 瞎闹 (mess around). It carries a negative or dismissive tone when used figuratively, so be careful not to offend — it is not a polite term for visually impaired people.

Common words containing 瞎 include: 瞎说 (xiā shuō) — To talk nonsense; 瞎闹 (xiā nào) — To mess around; 瞎子 (xiā zi) — Blind person.