Chinese word

蠢

Pronunciation

Pinyinchǔn

Meaning

  • adjectivestupid

Example

别做蠢事了。bié zuò chǔn shì le

Don't do stupid things anymore.

Illustration for 蠢 (stupid)

More examples

他看起来很蠢，但其实很有能力。tā kàn qǐ lái hěn chǔn dàn qí shí hěn yǒu néng lì

He looks stupid, but is actually very capable.

Core concept

A lack of practical sense that makes a person or an action look clumsy and foolish.

Common phrases

  • 看起来很蠢kàn qǐ lái hěn chǔn

    look very stupid

  • 一副蠢样子yí fù chǔn yàng zi

    a stupid look

Similar words

愚蠢yú chǔn: Showing foolish thinking or behavior that can lead to problems or failure.
笨bèn: Unable to move or think skillfully, so tasks are not handled well.
傻shǎ: Slow to grasp things and a little simple or scatterbrained in casual speech.

Definition in Chinese

表示愚笨、行为不合常理或缺乏机智，可形容人或举动，常含责备或轻蔑的意味。biǎo shì yú bèn xíng wéi bù hé cháng lǐ huò quē fá jī zhì kě xíng róng rén huò jǔ dòng cháng hán zé bèi huò qīng miè de yì wèi

Word origin

蠢 (chǔn, "stupid") is a phonetic-semantic character: 虫 (chóng, "insect") points to crawling creatures, while 春 (chūn, "spring") supplies the sound; its sense later extended to human dullness.

Usage tips

  • As a direct description of a person, this word can sound sharper than casual English "silly," so everyday conversation often favors a softer expression when the relationship matters.

Other meanings

  • foolnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word