碌 (lù) - mediocre, commonplace, ordinary & busy, occupied

碌Tone 4

lù ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

碌 · lù

mediocre, commonplace, ordinary;

busy, occupied;

a stone roller used in farming

mediocre, commonplace, ordinarybusy, occupieda stone roller used in farming

Usage highlights

mediocre and incompetentbusy and bustlingstone rollerordinary personcommonplace workhardworking and busy

Synonyms

  • 庸— mediocre, ordinary
  • 凡— common, ordinary
  • 忙— busy, occupied

Antonyms

  • 杰— outstanding, heroic
  • 优— excellent, superior
  • 闲— leisurely, idle

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He lived a mediocre life (碌碌无为).
  • She is busy with daily chores (忙于琐事).
  • Farmers use stone rollers (碌碡) to thresh grain.
  • This is an ordinary job (平凡的工作).

Collocations

  • mediocre and incompetent(碌碌无为)
  • busy and bustling(忙忙碌碌)
  • stone roller(碌碡)
  • ordinary person(碌碌之人)
  • commonplace work(平凡的工作)
  • hardworking and busy(辛勤忙碌)

Idioms

  • Mediocre and incompetent(碌碌无为)
  • Busy and bustling(忙忙碌碌)
  • Ordinary and mediocre(庸庸碌碌)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to a stone roller used in traditional farming for threshing grain.
  • Extended meaning of 'mediocre' comes from the repetitive, mundane nature of rolling work.
  • The character embodies both agricultural heritage and philosophical concepts of ordinary versus extraordinary life.

FAQ