Meaning Index
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "silly", including 痴 (chī), 笨 (bèn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
The English word "silly" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 痴 (chī), 笨 (bèn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span chī, bèn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 痴 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 痴 (chī) — so "silly" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "silly".
他对画画十分着迷，简直到了痴迷的地步。Tā duì huà huà shí fēn zháo mí, jiǎn zhí dào le chī mí de dì bù.He is so fascinated with painting that he is utterly obsessed.
Common words: 痴呆 (chī dāi)、痴迷 (chī mí)、痴心 (chī xīn)
只要肯努力，笨鸟也能先飞。Zhǐ yào kěn nǔ lì, bèn niǎo yě néng xiān fēi.As long as you work hard, even a slow bird can fly ahead.
Common words: 笨拙 (bèn zhuō)、笨蛋 (bèn dàn)、笨重 (bèn zhòng)
Open 痴、笨 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.