戇 (zhuàng) - Foolish, simple-minded, naive & also used in some dialects to mean honest

戇Tone 4

zhuàng ｜ 28 strokes ｜ radical:

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戇 · zhuàng

Foolish, simple-minded, naive;

also used in some dialects to mean honest and straightforward.

Foolish, simple-minded, naivealso used in some dialects to mean honest

Usage highlights

Foolishly honestFoolish and dullSimple and honestFoolish personFoolish behaviorFoolish decision

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

  • 聪— clever, intelligent
  • 明— bright, wise
  • 智— wise, intelligent
  • 慧— wise, intelligent

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a bit foolish (戇直).
  • Don't act stupid (戇居).
  • He has a simple and honest nature (戇厚).
  • That was a foolish decision (戇決定).

Collocations

  • Foolishly honest(戇直)
  • Foolish and dull(戇呆)
  • Simple and honest(戇厚)
  • Foolish person(戇人)
  • Foolish behavior(戇行)
  • Foolish decision(戇決定)

Idioms

  • Foolishly honest and straightforward(戇直不阿)
  • Foolishly stubborn(戇倔不化)
  • Simple-minded and easily deceived(戇厚易欺)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in Min and Yue dialects to describe someone who is honest to a fault or naive.
  • Can carry both negative (foolish) and positive (honest, straightforward) connotations depending on context.
  • In some contexts, it describes a person who is morally upright but socially naive.

FAQ