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愚蠢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
愚蠢yúchǔnsillyHSK 7, a, 34 strokes, rank #1259, Very Hard
愚蠢yúchǔnstupidHSK 7, a, 34 strokes, rank #1259, Very Hard
yúchǔn(yu2chun3)yu chun T2
  1. 1silly
  2. 2stupid
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March 24, 2026

愚蠢yúchǔn(yu2chun3)

愚蠢 (yú chǔn) refers to someone who is foolish or lacking intelligence. It is often used to describe actions or behaviors that are considered irrational or lacking common sense, and it can carry a slightly humorous or derogatory tone depending on the context.

Strokes34Frequency#1259DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, labeling someone as 愚蠢 can be quite serious, as intelligence is highly valued. This word may also appear in traditional stories or proverbs that teach lessons about wisdom and foolishness.

Memory tip

Imagine a 'fool' (愚) who is so 'silly' (蠢) that they trip over their own feet. The character 愚 looks like a person with a big head (intelligence) but a small body (lack of common sense), while 蠢 can remind you of a 'worm' that crawls slowly and foolishly.

Meanings of 愚蠢

yúchǔn(yu2chun3)
1silly
2stupid
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 愚蠢

愚蠢Simplified
34Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#1259Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 愚蠢

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Podcast: 愚蠢

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AI study notes for 愚蠢

Quick Contrast

愚蠢 (foolish) vs 笨 (stupid) — use 愚蠢 for a lighter, often humorous tone, while 笨 carries a stronger negative connotation.

Usage Notes

愚蠢 is generally used in informal contexts, often among peers. Be careful not to use it in formal situations, as it may come off as disrespectful. Common collocations include 愚蠢的行为 (foolish behavior) or 愚蠢的决定 (stupid decision).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 愚蠢 connects well with other adjectives describing qualities or characteristics. Students should focus on using it in sentences to describe people's actions or decisions, enhancing their vocabulary for discussion or writing.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 愚蠢 with other adjectives like 笨 (bèn), which also means 'stupid' but is more about slowness or clumsiness. A common mistake is saying '我觉得他是愚蠢' instead of '我觉得他很愚蠢' to describe someone in a more natural way.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 愚蠢

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Component characters

愚yúto be stupid
13 strokes心
View full entry
蠢chǔnstupid
HSK 721 strokes虫
View full entry

How to say silly in Chinese

“silly” in Chinese is愚蠢yúchǔn

愚蠢 (yú chǔn) refers to someone who is foolish or lacking intelligence. It is often used to describe actions or behaviors that are considered irrational or lacking common sense, and it can carry a slightly humorous or derogatory tone depending on the context.

When to use 愚蠢

愚蠢 is generally used in informal contexts, often among peers. Be careful not to use it in formal situations, as it may come off as disrespectful. Common collocations include 愚蠢的行为 (foolish behavior) or 愚蠢的决定 (stupid decision).

愚蠢 or something close to it

愚蠢 (foolish) vs 笨 (stupid) — use 愚蠢 for a lighter, often humorous tone, while 笨 carries a stronger negative connotation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 愚蠢 with other adjectives like 笨 (bèn), which also means 'stupid' but is more about slowness or clumsiness. A common mistake is saying '我觉得他是愚蠢' instead of '我觉得他很愚蠢' to describe someone in a more natural way.

Write 愚蠢

愚
蠢

Practice writing 愚蠢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 愚蠢

愚蠢 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高,not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

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Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我真应该跟我这些____的朋友理论理论!

I shall have words with these stupid friends of mine!

Example sentences for 愚蠢 (16)

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1
我真应该跟我这些愚蠢的朋友理论理论!

wǒ zhēn yīnggāi gēn wǒ zhèxiē yúchǔn de péngyou lǐlùn lǐlùn!

I shall have words with these stupid friends of mine!
2
我真的不理解这到底有什么意义,简直是愚蠢透顶。

wǒ zhēnde bùlǐ jiě zhè dàodǐ yǒu shénme yìyì, jiǎnzhí shì yúchǔn tòu dǐng。

I don't see the point in it really. It's just stupid.
3
这是个愚蠢的想法,他已经把事情弄糟了。

zhè shì gè yúchǔn de xiǎngfǎ, tā yǐjīng bǎ shìqing nòng zāo le。

It is a silly idea and he has botched it.
4
不用遵照那套荒唐愚蠢的投资策略也可以做到。

búyòng zūnzhào nà tào huāngtáng yúchǔn de tóuzī cèlüè yě kěyǐ zuòdào。

It can be done without following some absurd, off-the-wall investment strategy.
5
我犯了个愚蠢的错误,把那份文件扔掉了。

wǒ fàn le gè yúchǔn de cuòwù, bǎ nà fèn wénjiàn rēng diào le。

I made a bit of a boob throwing that file away.
6
基于如此不完整的证据采取的任何行动都是愚蠢的。

jīyú rúcǐ bù wánzhěng de zhèngjù cǎiqǔ de rènhé xíngdòng dōushì yúchǔn de。

Any action on the basis of such fragmentary evidence would be foolish.
7
我小心翼翼避免犯太多的愚蠢错误。

wǒ xiǎoxīnyìyì bìmiǎn fàn tài duō de yúchǔn cuòwù。

I am rather chary of making too many idiotic mistakes.
8
她是喜欢抛头露面,还是太过愚蠢了呢?

tā shì xǐhuan pāo tóu lòumiàn, háishi tài guò yúchǔn le ne?

Is it love of publicity or plain stupidity on her part?
9
谁在乎什么愚蠢的度假?

shéi zàihu shénme yúchǔn de dùjià?

Who cares about some stupid vacation?
10
我知道我的行为很愚蠢,但你不必老提那件事.

wǒ zhīdào wǒ de xíngwéi hěn yúchǔn, dàn nǐ búbì lǎo tí nà jiàn shì.

I know I behaved foolishly but you needn't rub it in.
11
他做了一个愚蠢的决定,结果让公司损失惨重。

Tā zuòle yī gè yúchǔn de juédìng, jiéguǒ ràng gōngsī sǔnshī cǎnzhòng.

He made a silly decision, which resulted in a significant loss for the company.
12
尽管计划听起来有些愚蠢,但他的坚持让人佩服。

Jǐnguǎn jìhuà tīng qǐlái yǒuxiē yúchǔn, dàn tā de jiānchí ràng rén pèifú.

Although the plan sounds a bit silly, his persistence is admirable.
13
即便他知道这项提议愚蠢至极,他还是决定去尝试。

Jíbiàn tā zhīdào zhè xiàng tíyì yúchǔn zhìjí, tā háishì juédìng qù chángshì.

Even though he knew the proposal was extremely silly, he still decided to try it.
14
在如此严肃的会议上发出愚蠢的笑声真是不合时宜。

Zài rúcǐ yánsù de huìyì shàng fāchū yúchǔn de xiàoshēng zhēnshi bù hé shíyí.

Laughing silly in such a serious meeting is really inappropriate.
15
他的愚蠢行为常常让其他人感到尴尬。

Tā de yúchǔn xíngwéi chángcháng ràng qítā rén gǎndào gāngà.

His silly behavior often embarrasses others.
16
她总是用愚蠢的问题打断我们的讨论。

Tā zǒngshì yòng yúchǔn de wèntí dǎduàn wǒmen de tǎolùn.

She always interrupts our discussions with silly questions.

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Cultural Notes for 愚蠢

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, calling someone 'silly' might be taken lightly, whereas in Chinese culture, it can imply a deeper critique of one's character.

Frequently asked questions about 愚蠢

Yes, you can use 愚蠢 humorously to describe your own foolish actions, but be cautious with the tone.

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