Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 白痴 | báichī |
| 傻子 | shǎzi |
| 蠢貨 / 蠢货 | chǔnhuò |
| 傻瓜 | shǎguā |
| 笨蛋 | bèndàn |
| 蠢材 | chǔncái |
| 呆子 | dāizi |
The term 白痴 is used to describe a person of low general intelligence. While it is primarily a noun meaning idiot, it can also function as an adjective to describe an action or a situation as idiotic.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 笨蛋 is composed of 笨, meaning stupid and 蛋, meaning egg. The term 蛋 is a common suffix in Chinese used to create colloquial nouns for people.
Which one should you use?
The various forms of this word differ significantly in intensity. 笨蛋 is often used in a lighthearted, teasing or even affectionate way between friends or couples. In contrast, 白痴 is more clinical or harsh. The term 傻瓜 is generally softer and more colloquial than 白痴, often used to call someone silly rather than truly unintelligent. For a much stronger and more aggressive insult, 蠢货 can be used to imply a contemptible lack of judgment. Additionally, the slang expression 二百五 literally means 'two hundred and fifty' but is used to imply someone is not very smart.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, such as Beijing, the informal term 呆子 is used to refer to someone as an idiot.
How do you pronounce it?
báichī
Did you know?
- The term 蠢材 uses the character 材, which means 'material' or 'talent'. Using it in an insult suggests the person is of 'low quality material' or lacks mental talent.
- The slang term 二百五 (èr bǎi wǔ), meaning 'two hundred and fifty', is a common way to call someone an idiot. It is often used to describe someone who is foolish or lacks common sense.
- In some traditional contexts, 白痴 was used as a medical term for congenital intellectual disability before it became a common social insult.
Examples in context
- 你真是個傻瓜！You're such an idiot!This sentence is useful for showing how to call someone a silly person using 傻瓜.Tatoeba #1236302 by tsayng, translation #984523 by CM
- 你是一個笨蛋。You're an idiot.This sentence shows how to use 笨蛋 to call someone an idiot.Tatoeba #1960230 by egg0073, translation #461945 by tamsanh
- 有时他是白痴。He's an idiot sometimes.This sentence demonstrates the use of 白痴 to describe a person.Tatoeba #4760048 by ryanwoo, translation #2700314 by Hybrid
- 那个人真是个白痴。That person is really an idiot.
- 我们不应该被那个笨蛋影响。We shouldn't be influenced by that idiot.
- 别做傻瓜啦！Don't be an idiot!
- 他真是个二百五。He's such an idiot.
- 别当个呆子了，快点做完工作。Stop being an idiot and finish your work quickly.
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a clumsy person they saw.
- 浩然 Haoran他真是個白痴。Tā zhēn shì ge báichī.He is such an idiot.
- 佳怡 Jiayi別這麼說他。Bié zhème shuō tā.Don't say that about him.
- 浩然 Haoran可是他剛才做得很白痴。Kěshì tā gāngcái zuò de hěn báichī.But what he did just now was so idiotic.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你太過分了。Hàorán, nǐ tài guòfèn le.Haoran, you are being too harsh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
