蠢 meaning and stroke order
Stupid; sluggish; clumsy
How to write 蠢, stroke by stroke
21 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 蠢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- stupid
- sluggish
- clumsy
- to wiggle (of worms)
- to move in a disorderly fashion
- variant of 蠢[chun3]
How 蠢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Worm.
虫 gives the meaning and 春 hints at the sound.
Radical: 虫 (insect), shared by 197 characters on this site.
How to remember 蠢
The top is 春 (chūn, spring), which gives the sound, and below are two 虫 (chóng, worm). Picture worms waking up in spring and wriggling around clumsily, and you get both the old meaning "to wriggle" and the modern meaning "stupid".
Today 蠢 almost always means stupid or clumsy, and it is fairly blunt, often used in insults like 蠢货 (chǔnhuò) or 蠢猪 (chǔnzhū). The softer, more formal word is 愚蠢 (yúchǔn). Example: 我做了一件蠢事。(Wǒ zuò le yí jiàn chǔnshì.) I did something stupid.
Common mistake: Learners often write only one 虫 at the bottom or swap the tone with 春 (chūn). 蠢 is third tone, chǔn, while 春 is first tone. Also, do not confuse it with 笨 (bèn), which is a milder everyday word for slow or not clever.
Common words with 蠢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 愚蠢 | yúchǔn | silly; stupid | HSK 7-9 |
| 蠢货 | chǔnhuò | blockhead; idiot | |
| 蠢蛋 | chǔndàn | fool; dolt | |
| 蠢事 | chǔnshì | folly | |
| 蠢材 | chǔncái | idiot | |
| 蠢猪 | chǔnzhū | stupid swine; idiot | |
| 蠢驴 | chǔnlǘ | silly ass | |
| 蠢话 | chǔnhuà | foolish talk; nonsense | |
| 蠢才 | chǔncái | variant of 蠢材[chun3 cai2] | |
| 蠢人 | chǔnrén | fool; imbecile | |
| 蠢蠢欲动 | chǔnchǔnyùdòng | to begin to stir (idiom); to get restless |
蠢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 蠢
How many strokes are in 蠢?
蠢 is written with 21 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 蠢 mean?
蠢 (chǔn) means stupid; sluggish; clumsy. A common word with it is 愚蠢 (yúchǔn), meaning "silly; stupid".
How do you pronounce 蠢?
蠢 is pronounced chǔn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 蠢?
The radical of 蠢 is 虫, which carries the idea of "insect". Dictionaries list 蠢 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 蠢?
The traditional form of 蠢 is 惷. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 蠢 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 蠢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 蠢 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 蠢 and 笨?
笨 (bèn) is the common, gentle word for slow, clumsy, or not smart, and you can even use it about yourself in a light way. 蠢 (chǔn) sounds harsher and more judgmental, closer to "idiotic". Calling someone 蠢 can easily offend.
What does 蠢蠢欲动 mean?
蠢蠢欲动 (chǔnchǔn yù dòng) means restless and ready to make a move, like worms stirring in spring. It keeps the old "wriggle" sense of 蠢 and often describes people or forces about to cause trouble, as in 敌人蠢蠢欲动 (dírén chǔnchǔn yù dòng), the enemy is getting ready to act.