戆 (gàng) - stupid, simple-minded, foolish & straightforward, naive

戆Tone 4

gàng ｜ 25 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

戆 · gàng

stupid, simple-minded, foolish;

straightforward, naive

stupid, simple-minded, foolishstraightforward, naive

Usage highlights

foolish and stupidsimplestraightforward and honestfoolish behaviorstupid and stubbornnaive person

Synonyms

  • 笨— stupid, foolish
  • 傻— silly, foolish
  • 愚— foolish, stupid

Antonyms

  • 聪— clever, intelligent
  • 慧— wise, intelligent
  • 智— wisdom, intelligence

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He acted foolishly (戆头戆脑).
  • Don't be so naive (别那么戆).
  • His straightforward nature sometimes causes trouble (他性格有点戆直).

Collocations

  • foolish and stupid(戆头戆脑)
  • simple-minded person(戆大)
  • straightforward and honest(戆直)
  • foolish behavior(戆态)
  • stupid and stubborn(戆顽)
  • naive person(戆人)

Idioms

  • Foolish and stubborn(戆头戆脑)
  • Simple-minded and honest(戆直不阿)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in Wu Chinese dialects (especially Shanghainese) to describe someone simple-minded or foolish.
  • Can carry both negative (stupid) and positive (honest, straightforward) connotations depending on context.
  • The character combines 'heart/mind' (心) and 'diligent' (赣), suggesting a mind that works too hard or simply.

FAQ