Meaning of 残疾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- disabled
- handicapped
- deformity on a person or animal
How to use 残疾
残疾 is used as a noun for a disability, and it also works before other nouns to mean disabled. The most common word built from it is 残疾人 (cánjírén), the standard neutral term for a disabled person in official and everyday Chinese. Example: 他小时候因为一场事故留下了残疾。(Tā xiǎo shíhou yīnwèi yì chǎng shìgù liúxià le cánjí.) He was left with a disability after an accident as a child.
残 (cán) means damaged or incomplete, and 疾 (jí) means illness, as in 疾病 (jíbìng). A body that is damaged plus an illness or condition gives you 残疾, a disability.
Common mistake: Learners often read 疾 as jì or jǐ. It is second tone, jí, the same as in 疾病 (jíbìng). Also, 残 alone often carries a cruel sense, as in 残酷 (cánkù) and 残忍 (cánrěn), so do not use 残 by itself to describe a person with a disability.
残疾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
残 cán · to destroy · 9 strokes
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疾 jí · sickness · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 残疾.
| 疾病 | jíbìng | disease; sickness; ailment |
| 残酷 | cánkù | cruel; harsh; merciless |
| 残疾人 | cánjírén | disabled person |
| 残忍 | cánrěn | cruel; merciless; ruthless |
| 残留 | cánliú | to remain; to be left over; residual; remnant |
| 凶残 | xiōngcán | savage; cruel |
| 残缺 | cánquē | badly damaged; shattered |
| 伤残 | shāngcán | disabled; maimed |
| 残骸 | cánhái | remains; wreckage |
| 残暴 | cánbào | brutal; vicious; ruthless |
| 残废 | cánfèi | deformity; handicapped |
| 自相残杀 | zìxiāngcánshā | to massacre one another (idiom); internecine strife |
Questions about 残疾
What does 残疾 mean?
残疾 (cánjí) means "disabled; handicapped" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 残疾?
残疾 is made of 2 characters: 残 (9 strokes), 疾 (10 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 残疾 an HSK word?
Yes. 残疾 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 残疾 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 残疾 is written 殘疾.
Is 残疾人 a polite way to say disabled person?
Yes, 残疾人 (cánjírén) is the standard, neutral term used by the government and media. Avoid the older word 残废 (cánfèi), which sounds insulting because it suggests the person is useless.
Can 残疾 be used as a verb?
No. Use phrases like 有残疾 (yǒu cánjí, to have a disability) or 留下残疾 (liúxià cánjí, to be left with a disability) instead.