Definition

Noun: 1. Invalid, disabled person: A person who is physically or mentally impaired, to the extent that they are considered incapable of work or normal activity. 2. A useless person, a good-for-nothing: (Derogatory, dated) A person deemed worthless or incapable of contributing meaningfully.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sau tai nạn, ông ấy trở thành một phế nhân. (After the accident, he became an invalid.)
  • Chính sách xã hội cần hỗ trợ các phế nhân. (Social policies need to support disabled persons.)
  • (Derogatory) Hắn ta chẳng làm được trò trống gì, đúng là một phế nhân. (He can't do anything right; he's a complete good-for-nothing.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "phế nhân" carries a strong negative connotation and is considered outdated and offensive when referring to people with disabilities in modern, respectful discourse. Its use in official or sensitive contexts is strongly discouraged.
• It can be used metaphorically in literature or rhetoric to describe something (e.g., an organization, system) that has become utterly dysfunctional and useless.
  • Cỗ máy chính quyền ấy giờ đã thành một phế nhân. (That government machinery has now become a useless wreck.)

Variants and Related Words

• Người khuyết tật (n): Person with a disability. (This is the modern, respectful, and standard term.)
• Người tàn tật (n): Disabled person. (Still common but gradually being replaced by "người khuyết tật" in formal contexts.)
• Phế binh (n): Disabled soldier, veteran.
• Phế phẩm (n): Reject, defective product; (figuratively) a worthless person.

Synonyms

• Người tàn tật: Disabled person.
• Người bất lực: Helpless/incapacitated person.
• Kẻ vô dụng: Useless person, good-for-nothing (derogatory).

Notes on Meaning and Usage

• The primary meaning refers to a person with a disability. However, the second, derogatory meaning ("good-for-nothing") stems from a harmful societal view that equates physical disability with worthlessness. This reflects the term's origin in a less inclusive era.
• Learners should use "người khuyết tật" when intending to refer respectfully to a person with a disability. The term "phế nhân" should be understood primarily for reading older texts or understanding historical context, not for active use in conversation.

noun

1. invalid, disabled person