About
笨 is a phonosemantic compound, combining the semantic bamboo radical ⺮ (竹) with the phonetic 本 (běn). Historically, it designated the inner, white layer of bamboo, a substance that, compared to the outer layers, is relatively inflexible and cumbersome to handle. Through semantic extension driven by this physical property, the character's meaning evolved exclusively to describe human traits of clumsiness, stupidity, or lack of intelligence. The original botanical definition is now obsolete, but the bamboo radical at the top of the character remains, serving as a vestige of its material origins.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个孩子很笨。
别做笨事情。
他看起来有点笨。
我妹妹经常说笨话。
这个笨主意是谁想的？
笨重的箱子很难搬动。
虽然他有点笨，但是很努力。
用笨方法解决问题往往效率低下。
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