笨
stupid; clumsy
bèn
What does 笨 mean?
笨 (bèn) is a colloquial adjective meaning 'stupid, dull-witted' or, in a second common sense, 'clumsy, awkward.' Applied to a person it is a fairly harsh insult about their intelligence, though softened forms like 笨蛋 (silly / dummy) can be affectionate teasing between friends or partners. Applied to actions or the body it means clumsy or unwieldy: 手很笨 (bad with one's hands), 笨手笨脚 (all thumbs).
English speakers should note two things: first, 笨 is blunter than the neutral 'not smart,' so use it carefully; second, it also describes bulky, hard-to-handle objects, as in 笨重 (cumbersome and heavy). Its opposite in the intelligence sense is 聪明 (cōngming), 'clever.'
Note: Blunt and colloquial. Calling a person 笨 is insulting; softened with 笨蛋 as playful teasing among close friends, or applied lightly to oneself. Avoid in formal settings.
Character breakdown
stupid; clumsy; awkward
Memory hook: The 竹 bamboo top over 本 (root) — as inflexible as a solid bamboo stump: dull and clumsy.
Example sentences
我数学不好，是不是很笨？
Wǒ shùxué bù hǎo, shì bu shì hěn bèn?
I'm bad at math—am I stupid?
spoken
你别叫我笨蛋！
Nǐ bié jiào wǒ bèndàn!
Don't call me an idiot!
colloquial
他做事有点笨手笨脚的。
Tā zuòshì yǒudiǎn bèn shǒu bèn jiǎo de.
He's a bit clumsy at doing things.
spoken
这个箱子又大又笨，很难搬。
Zhège xiāngzi yòu dà yòu bèn, hěn nán bān.
This box is big and cumbersome; it's hard to move.
neutral
Common phrases with 笨
Synonyms
傻 means 'silly / foolish / naive' and is often gentler or even endearing (傻孩子 = silly kid). 笨 points more at lack of ability or slowness to learn. 傻 can be sweet; 笨 is more of a jab at competence.
愚蠢 is a formal, written 'foolish / idiotic,' stronger and more literary. 笨 is everyday spoken. Use 愚蠢 to condemn a foolish decision in writing; 笨 to call someone slow in casual speech.
Don't confuse 笨 with
本 (third tone) means 'root; origin; this; a measure word for books.' 笨 (fourth tone) means stupid and adds the 竹 bamboo top. They share the 本 component but differ in tone and meaning.
苯 (third tone, grass radical) is the chemistry term 'benzene.' 笨 (fourth tone, bamboo radical) means stupid. Different radical, different tone, different world.
FAQ
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