Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 白痴 | baak⁶ ci¹ |
| 死蠢 | sei² ceon² |
| 戇鳩 / 戆鸠 | ngong⁶ gau¹ |
These terms are used to describe a person of low general intelligence. While 白痴 is a standard term, it can range from a literal description of someone with a mental disability to a common insult, depending on the tone used. The term 死蠢 is often used as an adjective to describe a person's behavior or a specific action as being incredibly foolish.
What does it mean word for word?
In the term 死蠢, the part 死 literally means "dead" but acts as an intensifier similar to "extremely" or "completely", making the phrase mean "dead stupid".
Which one should you use?
白痴 is the standard way to say "idiot". 死蠢 is used as an adjective to describe foolish behavior, while 戇鳩 is a slang version used to call someone a stupid person.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
白痴 is an informal term that can translate more strongly to "moron" or "imbecile". 戇鳩 is a highly vulgar slang term and should be avoided in polite or formal conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
baak⁶ ci¹
Did you know?
- The vulgar term 戇鳩 contains a word for 'cock' or 'penis' as a suffix to intensify the insult. In Cantonese slang, this specific body part is often used as a generic intensifier for various negative adjectives.
- While 白痴 can be a harsh insult, using it with a soft, rising tone can sometimes be used among close friends to tease someone for a silly mistake.
- The word 白痴 shares the exact same written characters as the Mandarin term for 'idiot', yet they are pronounced differently in Cantonese and Mandarin.
Examples in context
- 過去我係一條白痴！What an idiot I was!This sentence demonstrates how to use 白痴 when expressing regret about one's past foolishness.Tatoeba #2687917 by Balamax, translation #9872123 by LeeSooHa
- 佢真係一個白痴。keoi5 zan13 hai6 jat1 go3 baak6 ci1.He is truly an idiot.
- 唔好做個白痴。m4 hou2 zou6 go3 baak6 ci1.Don't be an idiot.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a silly mistake a classmate made.
- 子健 Tsz Kin嗰個男仔真係白痴。go2 go3 naam4 zaai2 zan13 hai6 baak6 ci1.That boy is such an idiot.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung佢今日做咗啲好蠢嘅嘢。keoi5 gam1 jat6 zou6 zo2 di1 hou2 ceon2 ge3 je5.He did some really stupid things today.
- 子健 Tsz Kin曉彤，你唔好笑佢啦。hiu2 tung4, nei5 m4 hou2 siu3 keoi5 laa1.Hiu Tung, don't laugh at him.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung我唔係，我只係覺得好笑。ngo5 m4 hai6, ngo5 zi2 hai6 gok3 dak1 hou2 siu3.I'm not, I just think it's funny.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
