(chǔn huò) - idiot, fool in Mandarin
chǔnhuòTraditional: 蠢貨
Translation
idiot, fool
Word origin
A compound of 蠢 (chǔn, stupid) and 货 (huò, goods, merchandise), goods of poor quality applied insultingly to a person.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 蠢 (chǔn, stupid) + 货 (huò, goods)
Stroke order
蠢
货
Examples
。
Do not be an idiot.
。
He called the other man a fool.
。
Only a fool would believe talk like that.
。
I really was an idiot at the time.
。
This idiot is late again.
蠢货 (chǔn huò) is a straightforward insult: idiot, fool, halfwit. The 货 suffix reduces the person to a bad batch of stock, and Mandarin uses that trick often, as in 傻货 and the far ruder 贱货.
You will meet it constantly in dubbed films and translated fiction, where it does the work of English idiot and moron. In real conversation it is genuinely rude, not the affectionate teasing that 傻 can be.
The trap is thinking it is playful because the parts look mild. 你真笨 between friends is close to "you daft thing"; 你这个蠢货 is a proper insult and will land as one. Learn it to understand it, and leave it out of your own speech.
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蠢货: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "蠢货" (idiot, fool): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 60.