痴 (chī) - foolish & stupid

痴Tone 1

chī ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

痴 · chī

foolish;

stupid;

silly;

infatuated;

obsessed;

crazy about

foolishstupidsilly

Usage highlights

foolish personinfatuated withidiotfoolish dreamsilly smilelove

Synonyms

  • 傻— silly, foolish
  • 愚— stupid, foolish
  • 呆— dull, slow-witted

Antonyms

  • 智— wise, intelligent
  • 聪— clever, smart
  • 明— bright, clear-headed

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a foolish person (痴人).
  • She is crazy about collecting stamps (痴迷于集邮).
  • Don't act like an idiot (别发痴).
  • He has a silly smile on his face (痴笑).

Collocations

  • foolish person(痴人)
  • infatuated with(痴迷于)
  • idiot(白痴)
  • foolish dream(痴梦)
  • silly smile(痴笑)
  • love-struck fool(情痴)

Idioms

  • Like a fool in a dream(如痴如梦)
  • Infatuated and obsessed(痴迷不悟)
  • Foolish and slow-witted(痴钝愚顽)
  • Crazy about something(痴心妄想)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, '痴' often carries negative connotations of foolishness or lack of intelligence.
  • The character is used in Buddhist context to represent one of the 'three poisons' (greed, hatred, and ignorance/delusion).
  • In romantic contexts, it can describe someone deeply infatuated or love-struck, sometimes with a positive connotation of devotion.

FAQ