笨

bèn
HSK 4
#2,318 most
frequent character
stupid, foolish, silly, slow-witted
adjective

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

笨 bèn has 𥫗 bamboo for meaning and 本 běn for sound. The bamboo part gives its first sense: the inner part of bamboo. 'Heavy' came by sound loan, and from that grew 'stupid' and 'clumsy.'

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Example Sentences

他真笨，做事情总是慢半拍。
tā zhēnbèn ， zuò shìqíng zǒngshì mànbànpāi 。
He is really stupid, always acting a step slower.
别看他笨，其实他很聪明。
bié kàn tā bèn ， qíshí tā hěn cōngmíng 。
Don't be fooled by his foolishness; actually, he is very clever.
有时候笨一点也没关系。
yǒu shíhòu bèn yīdiǎn yě méiguānxì 。
Sometimes being a little foolish is okay.

Words with similar meanings

愚蠢yúchǔn
foolish
A more formal term for foolishness, often implying a lack of intelligence or understanding.
笨拙bènzhuō
clumsy
Similar in describing a lack of skill, often used to indicate physical awkwardness.

Homophones

奔bèn
to go to, to head for, towards

Words Starting With 笨

笨拙bèn zhuō
clumsy; awkward; stupid

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