Chinese word

笨蛋

Pronunciation

Pinyinbèn dàn

Meaning

  • nounidiot

Example

你真是个笨蛋。nǐ zhēn shì gè bèn dàn

You're such an idiot.

Illustration for 笨蛋 (idiot)

More examples

一两次失误不应该让你被当成笨蛋。yì liǎng cì shī wù bù yīng gāi ràng nǐ bèi dàng chéng bèn dàn

One or two mistakes should not lead people to regard you as an idiot.

Core concept

A foolish person seen making slow, awkward, or thoughtless mistakes, with the label ranging from playful to scornful.

Common phrases

  • 被当成笨蛋bèi dàng chéng bèn dàn

    be taken for an idiot

  • 看起来像个笨蛋kàn qǐ lái xiàng gè bèn dàn

    look like an idiot

Similar words

傻瓜shǎ guā: A lighthearted or insulting name for a person who behaves foolishly and makes mistakes easily.
傻子shǎ zi: A spoken name for a person with poor judgment who often fails through immature actions.

Definition in Chinese

口语中用来指头脑不灵或做事笨拙的人，语气多为戏谑或轻蔑，可用于朋友间的玩笑也可表示责备。kóu yǔ zhōng yòng lái zhǐ tou nǎo bù líng huò zuò shì bèn zhuō de rén yǔ qì duō wèi xì xuè huò qīng miè kě yòng yú péng yǒu jiān de wán xiào yě kě biǎo shì zé bèi

Word origin

笨蛋 (bèndàn, "idiot") is built from 笨 (bèn, "stupid or clumsy") and 蛋 (dàn, "egg"), whose colloquial use in compounds can point to a person.

Usage tips

  • Context matters more than the dictionary translation: laughter and a friendly relationship can soften the word, while a sharp voice can make it a real insult.

Other meanings

  • foolnoun
  • dummynoun
  • blockheadnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 笨嘴笨舌bèn zuǐ bèn shéclumsy with wordsidiom

Word lists with this word