తెలివితక్కువ
telivitakkuva
The English word "stupid" can be expressed in Telugu as తెలివితక్కువ (telivitakkuva). Wiktionary also lists బుద్ధిలేని (buddhilēni) and తెలివి లేని (telivi lēni).
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
Ways to say it
| Telugu | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| తెలివితక్కువ | telivitakkuva |
| బుద్ధిలేని | buddhilēni |
| తెలివి లేని | telivi lēni |
These terms are used to describe someone or something that is lacking in intelligence.
What does it mean word for word?
The term తెలివితక్కువ is a compound of telivi (intelligence/wit) and takkuva (less/lacking). The term బుద్ధిలేని is a compound of buddhi (intellect/sense) and lēni (without).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective తెలివితక్కువ remains unchanged regardless of whether the noun it modifies is masculine, feminine or neuter.
How do you pronounce it?
telivitakkuva
Did you know?
- The word బుద్ధి (buddhi) used in బుద్ధిలేని is a loanword from Sanskrit and is the same root used for the 'Buddha', meaning 'the enlightened one' or 'the awakened one'.
- While తెలివితక్కువ is a common way to say 'stupid', using it towards an elder or a superior in a social setting is considered much more offensive than in English, as it directly challenges their life experience.
- The term తెలివి (telivi) comes from the root meaning 'to shine' or 'to be clear', implying that intelligence is viewed as a form of light or clarity in the mind.
Examples in context
- ఇది చాలా తెలివితక్కువ ప్రశ్నThis is a pretty stupid question.This sentence shows how to use తెలివితక్కువ to describe a question.Tatoeba #7207785 by bharath, translation #3001030 by Hybrid
- అతడు చాలా తెలివితక్కువ వాడు.ataḍu chālā telivitakkuva vāḍu.He is a very stupid person.
- ఆ తెలివితక్కువ పని వద్దు.ā telivitakkuva pani vaddu.Don't do that stupid thing.
Example conversation
Sai and Kavya are discussing a mistake made by a colleague.
- సాయి Saiఅతని నిర్ణయం చాలా తెలివితక్కువది.atani nirṇayaṁ chālā telivitakkavadhi.His decision was very stupid.
- కావ్య Kavyaఅవును, అది నిజంగా తప్పు.avuṉu, adi nijangā tappu.Yes, that was truly a mistake.
- సాయి Saiమనం జాగ్రత్తగా ఉండాలి.manaṁ jāgrattagā uṇḍāli.We must be careful.
- కావ్య Kavyaనిజమే, సాయి.nijamē, sāyi.That's true, Sai.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
