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愚蠢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
愚蠢yúchǔnsillyHSK 7, a, rank #1259, Hard
愚蠢yúchǔnstupidHSK 7, a, rank #1259, Hard
yúchǔn(yu2chun3) 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.

Frequency#1259DifficultyHard
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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 愚蠢

愚蠢Simplified
—Strokes
—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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Complete the Sentence

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 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我真应该跟我这些愚蠢的朋友理论理论！

wǒ zhēn yīng gāi gēn wǒ zhè xiē yú chǔn de péng yǒu lǐ lùn lǐ lùn！

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 zhēn de bù lǐ jiě zhè dào dǐ yǒu shí mó yì yì， ， jiǎn zhí shì yú chǔn tòu。

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 yú chǔn de xiǎng fǎ， ， tā yǐ jīng bǎ shì qíng nòng zāo。

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。

bù yòng zūn zhào nà tào huāng táng yú chǔn de tóu zī cè lüè yě kě yǐ zuò dào。

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 yú chǔn de cuò wù， ， bǎ nà fèn wén jiàn rēng diào。

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。

jī yú rú cǐ bù wán zhěng de zhèng jù cǎi qǔ de rèn hé háng dòng dū shì yú chǔn 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 xiǎo xīn yì yì bì miǎn fàn tài duō de yú chǔn cuò wù。

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 xǐ huān pāo tóu lòu miàn， ， huán shì tài guò yú chǔn le？

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

shuí zài hū shí mó yú chǔn de dù jiǎ？

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 zhī dào wǒ de háng wéi hěn yú chǔn, , dàn nǐ bù bì lǎo tí nà jiàn.

I know I behaved foolishly but you needn't rub it in.

Cultural Notes for 愚蠢

🏮Cultural insight

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.

🌏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.