呆

dāi
HSK 5
#1,336 most
frequent character
foolish, stupid, expressionless
adjective
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

呆 originally showed a grown person with a child on the back; that was its old meaning, now read bǎo. In today's shape 口 stands for the head and 木 for the body, both empty parts. Read dāi, the sense 'stupid, foolish' developed late, then grew to 'expressionless, blank'.

Drawn as: adult carrying child

呆 as a component in other characters

empty1 character
保

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Example Sentences

他看起来很呆。
tā kànqǐlái hěn dāi 。
He looks very foolish.
你不要呆在家里。
nǐ búyào dāizài jiālǐ 。
You shouldn't stay at home.
她的表情很呆。
tāde biǎoqíng hěn dāi 。
Her expression is very blank.

Words with similar meanings

傻shǎ
silly
This word is more informal and often used in a lighthearted context.
呆滞dāizhì
stupid
This term conveys a sense of being slow-witted or dull.
无表情wúbiǎoqíng
expressionless
This specifically refers to a lack of emotional expression.

Homophones

待dāi
to stay, to remain

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Public Lists with 呆

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