unknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒, rank #8536, Very Hard
痴
chī
sentimental
unknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒, rank #8536, Very Hard
chī(chi1) T1
1foolish, stupid, dumb, silly
2imbecile
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March 24, 2026
痴chī(chi1)
The character 痴 (chī) refers to a state of foolishness or stupidity, often characterized by a lack of good judgment. It can describe someone who is overly sentimental or naive, suggesting a combination of emotional excess and lack of reason. This term is commonly used in both informal and literary contexts to convey a sense of foolishness or silliness.
Strokes13Radical疒Frequency#8536DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese literature, characters described as 痴 often embody tragic romantic figures, reflecting cultural values around love and devotion. This term can also appear in traditional stories where foolishness leads to poignant lessons.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person so foolishly in love that they are 'stupid' enough to miss the obvious signs of unrequited affection. The character 痴 combines the radical for 'sickness' (疒) with 'a' (知), implying that being foolish is like having a mental ailment. 'Chī' sounds like 'cheese,' which can remind you of someone acting silly or foolish as they get overly excited about cheese!
Meanings of 痴
chī(chi1)
1foolish, stupid, dumb, silly
2imbecile
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 痴
痴Simplified
13Strokes
疒Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 痴
Podcast: 痴
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AI Study Notes for 痴
Quick Contrast
痴 (chī) vs 傻 (shǎ) — use 痴 for emotional foolishness, while 傻 implies a more general lack of intelligence.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 痴 (chī) with other characters like 笨 (bèn), which also means foolish but has a more general usage. It's important to note that 痴 carries a more emotional or sentimental connotation. In speech, avoid using this term in formal contexts as it may come across as insulting.
HSK Study Tips
While 痴 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance your grasp of emotional expressions in Mandarin. Focus on how 痴 interacts with other emotional adjectives and practice using it in sentences to convey nuanced feelings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mix up 痴 (chī) with 傻 (shǎ), using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我很痴' (Wǒ hěn chī) instead of '我很傻' (Wǒ hěn shǎ) when trying to say 'I am foolish,' can lead to misunderstandings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 痴
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Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 知 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癡.
1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
2The sound half知 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaysickness
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 痴? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 痴?
Decomposition of 痴
IDS Structure⿸疒知
痴Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
知zhi1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 痴?
How to say foolish, stupid, dumb, silly in Chinese
“foolish, stupid, dumb, silly” in Chinese is痴chī
The character 痴 (chī) refers to a state of foolishness or stupidity, often characterized by a lack of good judgment. It can describe someone who is overly sentimental or naive, suggesting a combination of emotional excess and lack of reason. This term is commonly used in both informal and literary contexts to convey a sense of foolishness or silliness.
When to use 痴
Learners often confuse 痴 (chī) with other characters like 笨 (bèn), which also means foolish but has a more general usage. It's important to note that 痴 carries a more emotional or sentimental connotation. In speech, avoid using this term in formal contexts as it may come across as insulting.
痴 or something close to it
痴 (chī) vs 傻 (shǎ) — use 痴 for emotional foolishness, while 傻 implies a more general lack of intelligence.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mix up 痴 (chī) with 傻 (shǎ), using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我很痴' (Wǒ hěn chī) instead of '我很傻' (Wǒ hěn shǎ) when trying to say 'I am foolish,' can lead to misunderstandings.
Write 痴
痴
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Practice writing 痴 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 痴
痴 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 3 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
Complete the Sentence
“____呆”这一统称里包括多种不同的疾病。
Within the umbrella term "dementia" there are many different kinds of disease.
