笨
Character learning workspace

bèn · stupid, foolish, dull, awkward

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 2.0 · Level 4HSK 3.0 · Level 4Frequency #3806
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 笨

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 笨 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

11Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

⺮Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 笨 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 笨

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

bènWords pronounced bèn
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 笨 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ bú shì bèn dàn.我不是笨蛋。

I am not stupid.

Source: Tatoeba #8698960 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ zhēn de shì gè bèn dàn.你真的是個笨蛋。

You really are an idiot.

Source: Tatoeba #4739764 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ de xiōng dì shì gè bèn dàn.我的兄弟是个笨蛋。

My brother is an idiot.

Source: Tatoeba #401447 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yí gè bù dǒng nǐ de rén bù yí dìng jiù shì yí gè bèn dàn.一個不懂你的人不一定就是一個笨蛋。

Someone who doesn't understand you is not necessarily an idiot.

Source: Tatoeba #5998476 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā de nán péng yǒu shì gè bèn dàn.他的男朋友是个笨蛋。

His boyfriend is an idiot.

Source: Tatoeba #8857199 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ yě zhī dào tāng mǔ bù hěn bèn dàn de.我也知道汤姆不很笨蛋的。

I also know that Tom isn't stupid.

Source: Tatoeba #8923396 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 笨 in context

  1. Say bèn, then recall the core meaning: stupid, foolish, dull, awkward.
  2. Write all 11 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 笨重 (bèn zhòng), meaning “heavy”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 笨 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.