笨
stupid; clumsy
HSK level
- Pinyin
- bèn
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Level
- HSK 4
- Strokes
- 11
- Register
- colloquial
Stroke order for 笨
笨 is written with 11 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
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.
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.
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